Return to My Heart
by Keetra
Summary: Hitomi has nothing left on Earth. So when she recieves a vision telling her that Van's sick, she jumps at the chance to see him. But can she help him, knowing so little about Gaea? HV FINISHED!
1. Of Death and Dying

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Return to My Heart

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Keetra: I'm gonna try to keep this short. 5 chapters at most, I swear. Cuz that probably as long as my inspiration is gonna last. ;;;; Five long chapters, hopefully.

This is my first Escaflowne fic!!! Well, the first one I've actually written. I've had ideas of others that I dismissed as old and used plot lines. But I sticking with this one. I basically took the best parts from the others and mixed it in this one. So, we'll see if it works, and if it turns out as good as I planned it to be. Please review! I love reviews. I love criticism as long as it's honest. And flames better have a damned good reason for being there, or they get fed to my pet dragon. . On with the fic!!

Disclaimer: I own three Escaflowne DVDs!!!! They're mine!!!! Sadly, the characters within and the basic idea are somebody else's. But the idea in this fic is mine!!! All mine!! And they will not steal it from me!!! sets up defensive positions around her idea

Chapter One: Of death and dying…

The wooden door slides open, revealing a man with an expression so sad, it brings an air of gloom to those who had been watching that very door for the past hour or so. The man raises his head and addresses those before him.

"I'm afraid the King's health is worse than I had first expected. I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do." His voice is monotone and his dark eyes focus on noone in the room, meeting no eye contact.

"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Milerna asks, voicing everyone's hidden wonder.

"Explain yourself!" Allen demands, his eyes boring into the man before him as though he could look into his heart and see a different truth then the one told to him. But there was none to be found, even if he could.

The doctor's next words confirm this as the man's head bows down in respective shame.

"The king of Fanelia has a disease I have never seen before. He has a high fever and is delirious to everything around him. Every remedy I have tried has been rejected by his body in one form or another. " He pauses and looks at the faces that are still watching him. "There is nothing more I can do but tell you this. Our king will eventually be overtaken by the illness within him, and will fall into a deep sleep from with there is no other path… besides death, that is."

Unable to restrain herself any longer, Merle leaves the stunned group and barges into the door the doctor exited. There on the bed, lies Van, King of Fanelia, with heavy blankets tucked up all the way under his chin and a thick cloth soaked in ice cold water folded and draped on his forehead. She leaps over to his side and looks at her friend since childhood as his breathing escapes from his body in ragged gasps and drops of sweat drip down the side of his face like hundreds of tears.

"Van-sama." She mutters sadly, her gaze suddenly sifts to his arm falls off the bed and exposes a hand clenched tight in a fist. Merle takes it gently, and as she lifts the blanket to place it back at his side, she sees Hitomi's pendant clenched tightly within his sweaty palm.

Hitomi. What would you do if you were here? Van-sama tried to hide his feeling from everybody, but he didn't have to. But now Van-sama is going to die, and we won't have a king. Hitomi, Van-sama would wake up to see you. She thinks to herself, sadly, her gaze fixed on the pendant.

As if in slow motion, Van's fingers slowly loosen their grip on the pendant and it falls to the floor, rolling next to her foot.

"Hm? Van-sama dropped it." She leans down and picks the pendant up, still staring within the jewel with a sad, far-away look in her eyes. She holds it delicately, as though if she were to touch it the wrong way, it would shatter within her paws. "Van-sama would never let anyone else even touch this. He would always wear it. He said it made him feel as though she was still right there beside him, guiding him."

"Hitomi…" Van's faint voice is heard by Merle's sensitive ears.

"Van-sama!" she says hopefully, turning her gaze back to him. But if anything, his condition has taken a turn for the worse.

His breathing is now even harsher, as though every breath is a large struggle that gets increasingly harder with every inhale. With every exhale, he calls Hitomi's name, it's sound level getting increasingly higher every time he says it. It eventually becomes loud enough to attract the attention of the people outside, who come running in while Merle stands there, staring at Van in shock.

The doctor walks over and taking a syringe from a nearby table, he injects it into Van's exposed arm. Van's cries become increasingly weaker and his breathing becomes slower and deeper as he drifts to sleep.

After a few minutes of breathless silence, Gaddes asks the question noone had dared ask yet.

"How long does he have?"

The doctor takes Van's hand and gently guides it back under the covers, not even looking back at them as he answers.

"Two months, maybe three. And that's only if he's lucky."

_Japan, Earth (Aka: The Mystic Moon):_

Hitomi stares blankly at the teacher from her desk near the back of the classroom. The teacher has been trying for the past hour or so to show how easy it is to find the length of the hypotenuse of a triangle given only the measurement of two of the angles. With how hot the temperature was in the classroom, the teacher stood no chance. Nearly every student had their heads folded in their arms on their desk, and it took all of Hitomi's strength to resist joining them.

She looked up at the clock conveniently placed above the teacher's head.

Thirty seconds till class ends. I can last that long, right? She thinks to herself as she starts to countdown the seconds remaining. Her inner voice continues to get louder, like the crowd counting down until New Year's until finally, _Five… Four… Three… Two… One…_

Right on cue with her count, the bell signaling lunch sounds its call throughout the school.

Yes!! It takes all her will power to not say this out loud. There are a few others whose will power failed them and their exclamations are answered with a sharp glare from the teacher. AS she walks out the door to the classroom, she says a silent thanks to the stars for her strength.

Instead of heading to the cafeteria, she heads out a door, leading to a small courtyard with a small tree at the far end, where she has been eating lunch at since spring began. It was her favorite spot and very few people ate out here, so it was peaceful and quiet. Someplace she could eat in peace and not be bothered. Or so she thought…

Four shadows land on her as she takes her sushi out of her bag. Without moving her head, she glances up, not surprised at the owners of the shadows. Especially on in particular.

"Well, well. If it aint our little fortune teller. Tell me, did the stars tell you I was going to talk to you today? Oh, that's right, you don't tell fortunes anymore, do you? I guess that would explain why nobody talks to you anymore since Amano and Yukari left for England. Who could have known that the all popular seer of the future would turn out to be the least popular girl in school?" she starts laughing maniacally and her friends join her a half beat later.

Now everyone at the courtyard was looking in their direction. Hitomi could feel their eyes staring at her without looking around.

"Get lost, Vilarya." She says in a monotone voice.

Vilarya is one of the lead cheerleaders on the school's cheerleading team, and had been bugging Hitomi ever since she had refused to do a reading for her. Vilarya had been trying to get everyone to believe that Hitomi was a fake, but noone would believe her. So when Hitomi gave up doing reading for anybody when she got back from Gaea, Vilarya suddenly became very popular and nobody except Yukari and Amano talked to her. Then they moved to England, leaving her without a friend, and noone to defend her against Vilarya's rants.

"Oh, listen to the bitch trying to be popular again. 'Get lost'? Who's gonna make me? You? What are you gonna do, wave the death card in my face and say 'You're in mortal doom unless you leave me alone!'? You're so pathetic. The sight of you just sickens me." She spits at Hitomi's feet.

Hitomi again tests her willpower to ignore Vilarya and takes a bite into her sushi. But this only makes her madder. Vilarya reaches forward and grabs Hitomi's hair and yanks Hitomi to her feet, making her sushi fall to the ground.

"Don't you ignore me, bitch." She gives Hitomi's head a jerk and Hitomi forces back the tears. "I have half a mind to slap you senseless." Vilarya raises her hand as though to slap her. Hitomi cringes, waiting for the blow.

Van! She thinks in her mind, calling out to him. _Van! Help me!!_

"That's enough, Vilarya." A voice nearby says, drawing everyone's gaze in that direction.

Hitomi looks over, thinking it might be Van. But it isn't. It's Michio, another senior and the best at pretty much every sport he played. Well toned and well tanned, every guy at school was jealous of him and every girl wanted to date him. Well, not every girl. Hitomi always felt uneasy around him. There was something about him that she just did not trust. And as he walked closer to them, that feeling welled up inside her once more.

"Mi-Michio. I- uh." Vilarya releases her grip on Hitomi's hair, and stares adoringly at Michio, a faint blush rising on her cheeks as a result of embarrassment and a crush.

"Get out of here, Vilarya. You know if you get in a fight, you're off the cheerleading squad. I don't stand for people who break the rules." He says, his muscular arms crossed and his dark brown eyes boring into Vilarya's in a look of intolerance.

But to Hitomi, he looks like a teacher looking disapprovingly at his student for not living up to his expectations.

Vilarya and her friends take off, sending glares back at Hitomi. "This aint over, Kanzaki." Vilarya growls at her before she leaves.

Hitomi ignores Michio as she picks up the ruined sushi off the ground. _Good thing that's not all I had for lunch._ She thinks to herself.

"Aren't you even gonna thank me?" Michio asks, still in that disapproving tone.

Oh great. I forgot he was still here. She thinks, not looking at him. "Thank you for what? I didn't need your help."

"Yeah whatever. How about as your thank you, you go to a movie with me this Saturday? I already have the tickets." He says, holding them up for her to see, while flashing her his most charming smile.

Hitomi gives him a look of disgust. "Sorry, already have plans." She says, taking another package of food from her bag to eat.

"Your loss." He shrugs and walks away.

I'm sure I can live with it. Hitomi thinks to his retreating back as she eats the rest of her lunch.

After she finishes, she takes out a sheet of paper like she does every day and writes.

Van,

Yet another boring day of math today. Sometimes I think the school wants to kill us with how hot they keep the classrooms. How do they expect us to think when it's so hot, never mind learn?

Vilarya bothered me yet again at the beginning of lunch. She's getting to be such a pain. What does she want from me, to bow down to her and worship her as a god? Well, she aint getting that. But I must say, she's really starting to get on my nerves. If it goes much farther, I might have to turn her in for harassment.

Michio butted in and got rid of her. yet another pain in the butt. He looks a lot like you actually, he even has that same bored look you had when I first met you, as if he's sick of the world around him. If it wasn't for the fact that he's so annoying, I might actually feel sorry for him. He asked me to go to a movie with him. As if I'd want to go ANYWHERE with him. But why me? Every other girl in the school wants a date with him, and he's got to ask me. What a loser. My heart's only for you Van. I can't wait to see you again. I keep wanting to go back to Gaea, to see how you've rebuilt Fanelia, but most of all to see you. I have no reason to stay here. The only reason I do is because I don't want mom to worry. She wants me to go to a good college so I'm doing my best. The teacher's say if my grades stay the way they are, I have a good chance at getting into one of the best colleges in the area. It's like school is the only reason I live anymore since Amano-sempai and Yukari moved away.

The bell rang ending the lunch period so Hitomi folded up the note and carried it to her locker, where she put it until after school, where she would finish it at home. While she gets her book for the next class, a pair of eyes watch her from around the corner.

I wonder what you were writing, Kanzaki. Well, we'll soon find out wont we? Yours isn't the first locker I've gotten away with getting into and it won't be the last. Vilarya waits there until Hitomi turns the corner and the bell rings for the next class. As soon as the hall clears out, she walks over to Hitomi's locker and gives it a swift kick in a certain spot. The locker flies open, but she catches it before it bangs into the next locker. _And people always complain about having cheap lockers._ She comments going through Hitomi's stuff. It doesn't take her long to find the note and open it up. _Well, well, well. Looks like Kanzaki has a secret crush._ Before she can read any further, she hears a teacher coming down the hall, stuffs the note in her pocket and heads off to class.

_After school, same day:_

_Where could it be? I know I put it in here?_ Hitomi asks herself as she frantically looks through her locker for Van's note. But no matter how much she looks, all she accomplishes is making her locker even more messy (if that was even possible). After 5 minutes of searching, she gives up and walks out to the front of the school. _Get a grip, Hitomi. You can just write it again when you get home. No big deal. _With these thoughts, she almost runs smack dab into Vilarya, who had been waiting for her outside.

"Well, hello Kanzaki." She says, holding the note Hitomi had been looking for in her hand. " 'Oh Van, my heart's only for you!' " she mocks in a high-pitched voice. "I'm hurt, Kanzaki. Why didn't you tell anyone you had a crush? So, where this Van of Gaea? And where is it?" Vilarya skims farther down the note. "Hah, look at this, says here Michio asked you to see a movie with him. In your dreams. Why would he ask a nobody like you on a date? It would only bring down his reputation."

"Th-That was in my locker!!" Hitomi blurts out in surprise.

"Tsk, tsk tsk. Maybe you should keep a better eye on your stuff, Kanzaki. I found this outside your locker, just lying on the floor waiting for me to pick it up and read about your little lover. So, who is he?" By this time a large crowd had gathered around and was watching them. "If he likes you, then he must be some loser. Or maybe your just imagining him. So, have you done a reading on your new love life? Or are you afraid your precious stars will tell you he's meant for me instead?"

Hitomi's face turns dark red. "Give it back, Vilarya."

" 'Give it back Vilarya.' God, you sound so pathetic. If you want it so bad, why don't you come and take it from me? Cuz it looks like Michio isn't gonna save your ass this time, nor your lousy-ass crush who lives in your imaginary world of Gaea. Figures someone like you would have to make up their crushes instead of having real ones."

Hitomi's fist flew at Vilarya's face before she knew what she was doing. The sound of her fist connecting perfectly with Vilarya's eye stunned everyone for a couple seconds when a teacher happened to walk into the crowd and se Vilarya lying on the ground, complaining to the world that she was attacked.

Both of them were brought to the office. Vilarya, her parents having a lot of money and a lot of influence in the school, was given detention. Hitomi was not so lucky. She was given a week's suspension, and was told she'd be expelled if she was caught fighting with another student.

Hitomi walked home, in complete saddened shock. She couldn't believe she had done that. Any chance she had of going to a good college were shot now that she was suspended. She spent the whole trip home, wondering how she was going to tell her mother.

As it turns out, she didn't have to. The school called her mom after they sent her home, which turned out to be both a good and bad thing. Good: she didn't have to break the news to her. Bad: Her mom was still very pissed. After a whole ten minutes of raised words Hitomi entered her room in tears. She collapsed on her bed and sobbed her sorrows into her pillow.

After she had calmed down a bit, she walked over to her desk to where her tarot cards sat in a perfect stack on its surface. She takes them silently into her hands and begins to shuffle them. After a few shuffles, she places the deck down and turns over the first card. It was the Ace of Serpents. The card she chose to represent Van. She had been drawing that card a lot lately, but she guessed it was because he was more in her thoughts now. She missed him now, more than ever and had been writing letters to him during lunch in case if she ever got the chance to give them to him. She put them in the same bag she had brought with her last time she went to Gaea. She was still on the track team (well, maybe not after today.) but her heart wasn't as into it since Amano and Yukari left. The only thing left in her heart now was Van, and she hugged the card representing him to her heart, never wanting to let it go. But something seemed to want her to flip over the next card, as if it would reveal something she desperately needed to know. She sadly put the Ace of Serpents down on the desk and flipped over the next card, revealing the Devil.

The Devil Card. Illness and tragedy.

The eyes of the devil cards turn toward her and she is thrown into a vision. The devil card leads her through a shaft of blue light and she finds her self in Van's room, looking upon the same sight Merle had seen earlier.

"Van-sama!!" Merle's voice causes her vision to jump to a small room where Merle is curled into a ball, crying and clutching Hitomi's pendant. "Hitomi. Come back and help Van-sama. Onegai. Come back. Hitomi." She breaks out into tears as Hitomi's vision comes to an end.

Van. I have to go to him. She picks up her cards and stuffs them in her bag then stands with it in her hand. He eyes close and she begins to wish, somehow knowing it would work. _Onegai, I have to go to him. Please, I have to go to Van._

The blue light forms around her and she is lifted into the sky.

Keetra: And I think I'll stop there for a cliffhanger. What'd ya people think? Hopefully I didn't make Hitomi too out of character. ;;; please review and tell me what I can do to make it better and stuff like that. Arigatou-gosaimasu! bows


	2. Going from One to Two!

**_Return to My Heart _**_(Cont.):_

**_Keetra: Hey all!_** Sorry for taking so darned long to post this chapter. I got so busy with work and school that I kept putting it off. But no more!!! Hitomi and Van are back and so am I and on a roll with a new laptop to type my story anywhere and anytime I want and a renewed inspiration! Thanks to all that helped me on this chapter and especially thanks to you reviewers! This story has gotten the most first chapter reviews than any other story I have written!! Cheers Anyway, special thanks to reviews:

_damson rhee_: Yeah, I guess it would be weird for them to leave, but if they left before she stopped doing card readings and getting teased, then it wouldn't be that weird would it? They had left soon after she got back so all this stuff hadn't happened yet. Does that make sense? Thanks a lot for your input! I love it when people question things in my writing! Then I know that I need to be a little more clear in my explanations in the story! Arigatou!

_Solar:_ LOL! The disclaimer thing was a joke. I put weird disclaimers in all my stories. It's a trademark kinda thing I guess. shrug

_Flipsides: _Hmmmm. 'Make it better, your story rocks', huh?.... doesn't that kinda contradict itself? LOL! Well, I'm always trying to make each chapter better than the last so that's a definite there. And I'm really glad you think my story rocks. . Arigatou!

_Saotoshi_ Yay! Multi personality person!! (or siblings…. Sometimes twins are alternate personalities as well if identical). Yes, the punching scene WAS beautiful… she had so deserved that. I've wanted to do a bitch slap scene for the longest time now and was gonna have that break out into a fight, but figured it was better if I just had Hitomi punch her; shorter, and easier on my writing abilities (aka: got lazy :-P). Plus, Vilarya aint the type to start a cat fight, she's just a bully that crumbles under pressure so Hitomi could only get in one shot and I had to make it serious enough to get her suspended. Only punch would do. . (plus, I can just see Vilarya with a hugs bruise over her eye and trying to pick up Michio. LOL, too hilarious! Anyway, Arigatou!

_Kya77:_ Thanks for the compliment on my descriptions!!! I'm always so worried that I'm not being clear enough in descriptions. I get scenes flashing into my head like a theatre and I try to get down as much description as I can before I lose the image. It's nice to know that someone's understanding it! Arigatou!

_Flame Saber:_ Read one of your fics… right… I'll definitely try to find the time to do that since you found the time for one of mine. I only know a few animes so hopefully you have fics of series that I know the chars! Arigatou!

_Random: _AW, do I really look like someone who's evil enough to kill off such a handsome guy like Van? hides trident, and stuffs devil's tail under the shirt and putting hat over horns Really, I don't see why people think I would be that evil! . Arigatou!

_Wake-Robin:_ Arigatou! Short, sweet, though I would really like I little more feedback if you have the time. It helps me improve things and gives me things to go off of in the next chapter.

_Inda_ Here ya go! Just for you, hon! . Arigatou!

_Azn-ani-freak11_: Even professional writers know that no story is ever "perfect". There will always be room for improvement. But thanks for the vote of confidence! Arigatou so much for reviewing!

_Patty:_ Ack! Sorry it took me so long to update! Please don't die!!! does CPR on the dying reviewer Please keep reading! I'd hate to think a reviewer died because of me! T.T

_Komi__-kitty:_ You know, considering I wrote it on your fave series, hon, I thought you'd have more to say. . Just kidding Freshy! . Hope you read this chapter too and all the rest (if I post them fast enough for your fast boredomness :-D)

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_**Chapter 2:** Going From One to Two?!_

The light drops Hitomi off in the middle of a large grassy plain. She looks up to see the comfort of the Earth hanging in the sky of Gaea.

_I'm back. Back in Gaea, the one place I thought I may never see again except in memory…_Her thoughts are interrupted as many horns call into the night. She looks to the direction she hears them from and looks down upon Fanelia, looking almost exactly as it did before it was destroyed by the Dornkirk invasion.

The horns sound again as the doors to the wall surrounding Fanelia open and a half dozen riders gallop out in her direction on the unique horses of Gaea. She stays where she is, knowing they are heading towards the location of the light that brought her here and has nothing to fear from people of Van's country since most of them knew her anyway. They ride all the way to her and come to a neat stop ten feet from her. The man in the lead, whom Hitomi recognized as Benji, steps his horse a couple feet forward and turns his beast sideways. Hitomi scowls at the thought that Benji was still here. He was a good commander, so that gave him some merit, and kept all the soldiers in strict order and fighting ready, but he had no real social skills outside of that. Plus, Hitomi scowls at this memory, he was the biggest feminist she had ever come across. Absolutely no women were allowed to fight in Fanelia and the glare he gave to female fighters from other countries didn't help relations with them much, since other countries would find ways to avoid bringing female fighters.

Benji sends this glare down at Hitomi now. No, she wasn't a fighter, but she was a woman more famous than himself that had no royal blood yet a romantic connection with his ruler. This had never tided well with Benji and he never liked her because of that. But, then again, Benji didn't like any woman so hadn't expected him to treat her any different. _Doesn't mean I have to like him much though…_Hitomi smirks to herself, not moving her gaze from Benji's brown eyed glare, framed by tanned skin and light brown hair, that is almost bleached blonde by the sun. His dark blue outfit is lavishly decorated with all his pins of rank, honor and service. These glinted in the bright sun of Gaea and threatened to blind her, but she returns Benji's glare just the same, refusing to back down from only a glare.

"Hitomi of the Mystic Moon." He states bluntly, more stating the obvious than inquiring, since he obviously knew her. Hitomi just nods at him and he continues gruffly. "We are to bring you back to the palace. Your… things…" he says this, taking a glance over the small bag she has brought with her, wondering how a woman stays sane with so little possessions with her, "Shall be taken to your quarters. If you need rest or food, they will be given to you if you request them. Millerne-hime," his scowl deepens, "is at the palace, as well as Allen Schezar and those under him. They have requested to see you as soon as you get to the palace…"

"No!" Hitomi states firmly making Benji Startle at her tone towards him. _I love being able to do that, _she grins at her success before taking her serious tone again. "I must see Van before anyone else. You will tell them that I will see them AFTER I see Van. They will understand."

Benji gives her a curt nod, though she knows that some poor servant girl is going to be forced to take the message. She gives a moment sympathy for the girl in her mind before concentrating filly on Benji. Dealing with him takes all the willpower any woman can muster. He turns his mount back to face the others.

"We must leave now. Altan! You take the… His Highness' guest!" he calls to one of the soldiers, changing his wording at the last moment.

One of the blonde riders, for there were the three blondes and two red-heads in the group, rides forwards and dismounts to help her up. He gives her a smile that is both apologetic and courteous at the same time, though he is careful in his facing so that Benji cannot see it. He helps her onto his mount then gets on behind her with practiced ease. He nudges his mount forwards and they easily catch up with the rest and head back to the palace.

_I'm coming Van. _She thinks to him within her mind. _Just wait for me a little longer…_

* * *

_Few Minutes Later:_

Hitomi walks through the halls of Fanelia's palace, led by Benji. Though the hall is filled with beautiful art and designs, she notices none of it as she keeps her eyes straight ahead, following Benji to Van's quarters. A had servant girl had taken Hitomi's bag to her quarters already, saying not a word to either of them. She knew not to speak around Benji or she would be "volunteered" for something else. Another girl had been "volunteered" to take the message to Millerne and the others. Hitomi had cringed at this.

They come to a hall just outside Van's door, the same hall where Van's upcoming death was announced. Since that time, the lights in the hall have been respectfully dimmed, adding to the gloomy nature of every soul in the palace. Two guards jump to attention as they turn the corner, their eyes widening only slightly upon seeing Hitomi. Even through the dimmed lights, Hitomi notices the slight slump in their shoulders, the weight of worry and grief weighing heavily upon them both. Hitomi stares at the wooden door, suddenly unsure if she can go within. Her feet feel like ten-ton weights that are merging her feet to the floor. Something seems to be pushing her away, keeping her from what is beyond the door. Benji nudges her from behind, and impatient urgency behind the motion. Hitomi forces her feet to leave the floor and move forward. One of the guards leans to the side and opens the door for her. She gives him a nod of thanks. As she slowly passes the doorway, the guard silently closes it behind her, sealing her within.

For the second time today, Hitomi sees Van lying on the bed panting, the pain he feels obvious upon his tanned face. His body is still dripping with sweat and the cloth on his forehead is dry from his body heat. Hitomi walks over to his side and sits lightly upon the bed, almost afraid to wake him. Benji had told her nothing, and she in turn had said nothing to him or anyone, wanting to see Van first before she lost what little strength she had remaining. Her hand reaches out and removes the cloth, soaking in the bin of water. She runs her other hand lightly down his temple to his cheek. Is skin is burning hot and clammy but she does not remove her hand, having not touched him in so long.

"Oh Van, I'm sorry. I should have been here sooner. Van, please wake up and say you forgive me. Please…" she fades into a fit of sobs upon Van's shoulder, releasing the emotions she has held in since she got to the palace. Her tears evaporate as quickly as they fall on Van's bare shoulder.

* * *

_Elsewhere in the Palace…_

Benji walks into a large room, causing the faces within to look up from whatever they were doing.

"Did you tell her?" Allen asks, voicing one of the many questions that had been floating through the room before his arrival.

"No." Benji says bluntly. Seeing Millerna open her mouth, he guesses her question and continues. "She didn't ask so I didn't say. She insisted upon seeing him so I brought her to him."

Everyone in the room glares at him upon hearing this. Everyone, that is, except Merle who instead dashes determinedly towards Benji. She surprises everyone by not attacking him, but instead passing him without a glance and heading quickly through the hall.

"Merle, wait!" Millerna yells, getting to her feet to go after her.

"Let her go, Millerna-hime."

"Gaddes!" Millerna stops and turns to him in surprise, as well as everyone else.

"Merle should be the one to tell her." Gaddes explains calmly, "She stands a better chance of getting a positive reaction from Hitomi than the rest of us. Their bond is strange but unique."

Allen watches as Merle turns a corner. "I hope you're right Gaddes." He says hugging Millerna to him. "For Van and Hitomi's sake, I hope you're right."

* * *

_Back in Van's room a few minutes later…_

Hitomi sits up as the door to Van's room is thrown open. An out of breath Merle runs in and pounces into her lap.

"Hitomi… Hitomi, thank goodness… you came…" Merle gasps out between hard breaths.

Hitomi hugs her friend tightly as Merle gets control of her breathing. "Merle, what's happened? What's wrong with Van?" Hitomi asks gently.

"Van-sama…" Merle starts but she chokes upon the words as sorrow fills her heart and her throat. She takes a deep breath and tries again. "Van-sama is gonna die!"

Hitomi stares at Merle in speechless shock at this news. However, she does not have to say anything for Merle continues, slightly more calm now that she got the more serious news of her chest.

"At first he just had a fever. The doctors said it wasn't serious and just had him stay in bed and sleep. But Van-sama would not listen! He said he felt fine! Then it got worse. Van-sama started getting really bad headaches and parts of his body would go numb. Then, one morning about a month ago, Van-sama didn't wake up and all he would do was scream in pain. Van-sama would sweat blood sometimes and bruises would appear on his body then would disappear. The doctors thought he was being hurt from the inside."

Hitomi's mind flashes back to the last time she heard those words. "Escaflowne. Did anyone check Escaflowne?"

Merle nods sadly. "Allen-san checked it himself. Escaflowne was in perfect shape and still asleep nobody can understand it!" Merle sobs.

Hitomi can't understand it either. _But, then again,_ she thinks to herself. _There are still things about Gaea that I do not understand. _She sighs to herself. _What am I supposed to do?_

Merle interrupts Hitomi's thoughts as she forces an object over Hitomi's head and around her neck. Hitomi stares at it in shock.

"My pendant…" she mutters as her gaze is drawn to Merle's. Merle's eyes, still wet from the tears, have taken an edge of stubborn determination that always means Merle is at her most serious and expects to get what she wants.

"Hitomi must help Van-sama, she states, her voice flat with a no-nonsense edge. Her words hit Hitomi like the sharpest of knives.

"D-demo…" Hitomi stutters in response.

"Iie!" Merle screams, her voice breaking from the high note she hits as the tears flow down her cheeks yet again. "Hitomi MUST help Van-sama! Merle prayed and prayed that Kami-sama would send Hitomi to help Van-sama. Now Hitomi is here so Van-sama can't die!" She thrusts her face into Hitomi's chest, not noticing her paw landing on the pendant as she screams at the top of her lungs, every other note breaking. "VAN-SAMA CAN'T DIE!!!"

The pendant flashes a blinding bright pink and Hitomi is plunged far, far down as a rainbow of colors swirl around her, becoming increasingly darker until everything around her is pitch black.

_What is going on? A vision? But I cannot SEE anything!_ She thinks frantically.

She brings her hand up to her face. It touches her nose with her still not seeing even the faintest outline of it. _Am I blind? What kind of vision IS this?_ She wonders in confusion.

"Not a vision. A separation," a female voice echoes through the void around her, startling Hitomi.

"Who are you?" Hitomi challenges, still not able to see anything.

"I am Draconian. Your friend's wish was strong, but difficult to carry out. I am helping you to fulfill it."

Hope builds within Hitomi's heart. "How?"

But the voice does not answer this. Instead, Hitomi's vision begins to brighten as a dungeon room takes shape piece by piece around her. The stones on the walls are many shades of gray and go higher than the eye can see. Set within the walls themselves, behind red glass, are many lit candles, the flames low and immobile. On the opposite side of the room, Van's figure stares at her, crouched on the ground with a chain securing his ankle to the wall with a very long chain.

"So. You're here." He says, the cold tone in his voice makes Hitomi freeze for a full three seconds before she starts running towards him. "Don't come any closer." He yells at her, his voice still cold and his eyes narrow in hatred.

"Van… What's wrong? Don't you recognize me? It's Hitomi…" she says to him, her mind not believing, not comprehending at all what her ears are hearing.

"I know who you are. At least, who you SAY you are. You never give up, do you? You think you can pull that trick again! You are not Hitomi! You may look like her, but so did all the others! It won't work anymore. So just go back where you came from! You will not break my heart this time with your tricks!" With that, he turns his back to her so all she can see is the cuts upon his back. What they are from, she has no way of knowing.

Hitomi stares at his back, shocked at his cold demeanor towards her. He had not treated her this way since she first came to Gaea. She thought he would never treat her that way again.

"Van, I'm sorry. I came when I could. I didn't know." She says, her lips working by their own will since her thoughts have died.

"Yeah of course you did. Lemme guess, you had a vision. Or maybe or did a reading with those cards of yours. Or a beam of light suddenly picked you up and brought you into here. You think the others didn't say those things?" He doesn't even turn his head to face her as he says this.

Hitomi hangs her head in defeat. _It's not as if I knew what I was going to do anyway. He won't even LISTEN to me! _Her eyes in tears she takes the pendant off her neck and holds nit before her, her eyes closed in concentration. _Take me back. There is nothing I can do here. _

But nothing happens. She opens her eyes to the same sad sight of Van's back to her. She stares at her pendant in confusion.

"I can't go back." She says in a low voice, but it echoes of the walls so Van hears it and he snorts in response.

"Why not? Scared your master is gonna be mad at ye? Well, I don't care. Get outta here!"

"I told you I couldn't! I tried to leave and I couldn't!" she falls to her knees in sobs. She didn't want to leave, but Van was being so cold. She can't stand him like this.

There's a pause before Van speaks to her again.

"You really couldn't leave?"

Hitomi looks up from the floor to see him looking at her over his shoulder. His voice isn't as cold anymore, and his gaze seems to show his interest in her answer.

"Yeah." She whispers, her voice still echoing so he can hear her. "I couldn't."

He stands up and turns to her, his eyes soft with hope.

"You tried to leave me. Why?"

_Why does he care? He doesn't want me here, right?_ She wonders to herself before answering. "You were so cold. I couldn't stand it. You didn't want me to help you, even though Merle's in tears screaming that you're going to die. I can't imagine how everyone else is, but everyone else in Fanelia is so depressed. But if want to die that's your own problem and there's nothing I can do about it."

Van slowly walks towards her, hope shines upon his face as he seems to stares into her eyes as if he could read her mind.

"None of the others would try to leave. They wouldn't leave, no matter how many times I asked them to. They would stay all day, begging me to go with them back to Fanelia, or to the Mystic Moon. But as soon as I stepped out of the door they would attack me, scratching me and beating me and something kept me from moving, from blocking them from hurting me. Then I would pass out and wake up back in here." He comes to a stop about 30ft away from her. "Are you really Hitomi? Please tell me you're really the Hitomi I love."

Tears stream down her cheeks and she doesn't bother to wipe them off, for they are tears of relief and joy. "I only know what I think I am. My name is Hitomi, and I am from Earth. Whether you still love or not after four months of not talking to me is within your own heart, Van of Fanelia."

Tears fall down Van's cheeks as well as realization of the fact that his real love is really there dawns upon him.

"Hitomi…" Love fills his eyes as he starts towards her again, the chain rattling along behind him. Hitomi starts running towards him as well, overjoyed at the fact that she had somehow gotten through to him.

They are but fifteen feet away from each other when the ground between them splits and shakes as it creates a deep chasm between them. Van jump back to safety but Hitomi is not so lucky as her foot slips upon the loose rock and she falls into the chasm. A loud scream pierces through her vocal chords as her hand shoots out and manages to grab onto a ledge, only to have that crumble and break in her grasp. She tumbles down and a rock jutting out from the wall takes the wind out of her and nearly knocks her unconscious. The pendant flies from her grip to the other side of the chasm, snagging on a random rock.

"Hitomi!" Van's voice cuts into her semi-conscious mind and she looks up as he dives off the edge.

"Van!" she yells, holding out a hand for him to grab her since she didn't know if she could move.

However, he never makes to her as the chain reaches its end and jerks him to a stop five feet out of reach. He swings like a pendulum straight into the opposite wall. The shaking of his crash, breaks the rock holing the pendant and it falls towards the lava that is filling the bottom of the chasm now.

"Van! The pendant!!!" She screams, pointing at the falling object.

Van pushes with his feet sideways and just manages to grab the necklace as it falls near him before swinging back and forth on his restraining chain. The chain that keeps him from helping his loved one.

"Van, fly! Fly to the top Van!" Hitomi calls to him from her ledge, thanking Kami that the cliff had stopped shaking.

"I can't! Their broken!" He calls back, grappling for stable handholds to turn himself right side up, never mind get back to the top.

Hitomi does a double take at this statement. _Broken? You can break a Draconian's wings? Yet another fact about Gaea I didn't know. Funny how they ask me to save a world I know so little about. Sure, I figured out a lot of its history last time I was here, but I still dunno what those weird looking horses of theirs are called!_

Van finds some handholds and he stats making his way back to the top. Hitomi watches him climb, feeling hopeless as she watches him slip many times. He reaches the top, puts the pendant around his neck so it does not fall again then yells over the edge.

"Can you move Hitomi?" he asks.

She mentally smacks herself for not trying to figure that out. She moves her body slowly, starting with her head and working her way down, careful to not to shift her weight too much and break the ledge. She screams in agony as she moves her right leg.

"Hitomi, what's wrong?" Van calls down.

"My hip! It hurts! Oh Kami, it hurts so much! Van, help me please!" She sobs, the fact that he cannot reach her not registering through the agony ringing through her brain.

Van bites down the retort that springs to his lips, knowing that, with the pain she was in, it would only make her angry with him and cause her more pain. He shuts his eyes and holds back the tears trying to run from his eyes. _I need to help her. Tears will not solve anything! _

The chasm starts to shake again before van can think of anything. Bits of rock break off from the top of Van's side of the chasm, and he dances back to avoid falling into it again. A scream from Hitomi brings him right back to the dangerous edge and he nearly passes out at what he sees. One of the rocks from the other side had hit the ledge supporting Hitomi and had broken it, leaving a crevice barely big enough for Hitomi to slip her hands into and hold on. Though she had managed to find a foothold with her non-injured leg, her handholds were weak and it was already beginning to loosen.

"Van! I'm slipping! Oh someone please help me!"

"Hitomi!" He screams, not sure what to do now, as the love of his life hangs by a weak grip on crumbling rock.

"Van! Don't let me die! Please somebody help me, please!" Hitomi screams in hysterics as her grip loosens more.

Van falls to his knees in helplessness, his heart breaking harder than when the fake Hitomis had tricked him into believing they were real. _But this one's real! Te real Hitomi is going to die and all I can do is watch! But I can't! I cannot just stay here and watch her die! I have to help her! Somehow, I have to help her. _

Van grabs a chunk of rock from nearby and starts banging on the chain with it. The rock lasts about two hits before crumbling within his hands. Hitomi's screams tell him her grip has gotten even looser as he bangs with another rock and another, but each crumbles within his hands after a couple hits, the last rock not even lasting until he hit the chain. Looking towards Hitomi, he sees that only her fingertips are holding her there. He watches as a shake of the cliff breaks the rock her fingers are gripping and she falls in slow motion towards the lava below, soon too far from the edge to grab another hold or be caught on another ledge.

"VAN!" she screams as she falls, her voice reaching him through his scrunched as that are freely flowing tears!

"Hitomi!!" He pounds the ledge in aggravation, ignoring the blood that starts flowing from the side of his palm. "Not, she can't die…" he says quietly to himself then raises his voice as Hitomi lets out another piercing scream, "HITOMI CAN'T DIE!!!"

A blinding pink light shines around him and the next thing he sees is falling down the chasm towards the lava, Hitomi within his arms.

"Van!" Hitomi gasps in surprise then quickly notices that they are still falling. "Van you have to fly!"

"I can't!" He says, holding her tightly to him _At least we'll die together. I won't have to live without her. _

"Yes you can, Van! Fly! You have to fly so I know you can fly!" She clutches his chest, one hand unconsciously grabbing the pendant there. "YOU HAVE TO FLY VAN!"

There is another bright light, but it lasts only a second and Van's wings sprout from his back, causing Hitomi to gasp in shock. Van's wings were indeed broken, for from the break to the tip, the wings held black feathers of death. But the wings starting to move in a flying motion, slowing and then finally stopping their fall before slowly raising them towards the top of the chasm. Van makes it painfully to the top and sets Hitomi down as they stare at each other in shock. A metallic rattling makes Hitomi notice the chain links still attached to his ankle.

"I flew!" Van announces the obvious as Hitomi does suit by exclaiming, "You broke the chain!" The latter, apparently, had not occurred to Van, as he looks down, surprised at the chain on his ankle.

"But… how? I couldn't break it with the rock!" he stutters, completely perplexed by this.

"Yes, but your wish was strong enough to give you that power, as well as the power to fly on broken wings." A female voice replies as a woman materializes before them. She appears no older than a teenager with long blonde hair and glowing green eyes. Around her shoulders is a heavy purple robe with thin silver trimming. For clothing, she wears a long white gown, the middle sewed with gold ribbon and the collar and bottom hem lined with silver. Tiny diamonds trial from the shoulders to the middle of her breast, ending where a large Drag-energist hangs on a thick gold band. The energist is still lightly glowing pink.

Van steps protectively in front of Hitomi, shielding her from the intruder. "Who are you?" he challenges the woman.

The woman smiles at him. "I am Draconian."

Van's eyes narrow in annoyance. "I didn't ask what you are. I asked who you are!"

Her smile widens as a parent's does when being patient with a stubborn child. "My name is Draconian. The draconians are named after me."

Van remains silent at this news, not seeing when Hitomi steps out from behind him and walks towards Draconian.

"It's you. You're the one I heard before I came here."

Draconian's smile turns towards Hitomi, a very warm smile that lightens the heart.

"Yes Hitomi. Our friend's wish was strong enough to reach my energist and gave me the power to help you. However, her wish is not fulfilled completely. You must do the rest. I have done all I can to help you. Now you must go back, before the master in this place notices my barrier and stops me."

Her energist begins to glow brighter and the light seems to surround Hitomi and Van.

"But, what can I do? There's so much I don't know!" Hitomi cries, trying to understand.

Draconian gives her the patience smile she gave Van. "You have the knowledge you need, Hitomi. You just have to think about what you know, and what is missing from what you know to be true." Though this was supposed to be an explanation, it only achieves in confusing Hitomi more than she already was. Draconian's smile slowly diminishes as she listens to something only she can hear. "He knows I am here, you must go back. He does not belong here, not yet. I will do what I can, but you must go, NOW!" she raises her voice on the last word and the light becomes increasingly bright as Hitomi feels a slight displacement. _You have the knowledge you need, Hitomi. You just need to believe you can see it. _Draconian's voice whispers into her mind as her surrounding become those quarters, with a worried Merle staring at her about an inch from her face. Hitomi screams and pushes her away in shocked reaction, Merle landing neatly on her paws.

"Merle, what were you doing that close to my face?!"

"But you weren't saying anything! You had just passed out on top of Van-sama and you weren't breathing! Figures, I ask you to help Van-sama and you nearly die. How is that supposed to help anyone?!"

_'But she did help me.'_ Hitomi hears Van's voice.

"Van!" she says excitedly and turns to his face. But his eyes are still closed, though his breathing has stilled to long, deep, healthy breaths. Merle looks as well, then turns back to Hitomi with the 'Strange Mystic Moon Girl' look upon her face.

_Strange._Hitomi thinks, still watching Van, _I thought heard Van._

_'You did hear me. I am here._ Van's voice answers her thoughts. Hitomi looks around, trying to see him, but she still sees nothing.

"Where are you Van?" she asks, still looking around.

Van's voice pauses before answering. _I think… I'm in your mind. _

_End Chapter Two _

_

* * *

****__Keetra:_ Yeah, I'm back just to quickly say, yet again, to please review. For some reason I keep thinking there are evil people out there who read these marvelous stories and don't review. If you are one of these people and you decide to review my story, then I will no longer consider you evil. If you decide not to hit the button and voice your opinion, I will consider you evil and therefore a rival of mine and I shall doom you into the pits of eternal pain! (AKA: My pet dragon Leisule (New pet dragon, for those that keep track!)) If I get 12 reviews this chapter like the last one did I will be so incredibly happy that the next chapter will come out quickly! If I get more, I will be ooberly happy and the story will get out even quicker (Hint: If you want it out really fast, get everyone you know to read this! .) but if I get less than 12 reviews, I will not be so happy, but I will do my best to still get the next chapter out very quickly. Arigatou again, Readers!! 


	3. Flashbacks and Discoveries

_**Return to My Heart (con't)**_

_Keetra: O.O Wow! I got so many responses to my second chapter! And so much useful advice! Thank you all so very very much! I lost inspiration for this story and now got a little inspiration from watching the series again, especially the flashbacks scenes. I couldn't get Hitomi's question of "So, what games did you and Folken play when you were a kid, Van?" out of my head. So I decided to put them on paper and that mean also continuing this story. So ya'll got lucky! However, since I have so very little time nowadays, it will not be as long as I had originally planned. No more than five chapter is what I predict, and they will almost definitely take me a while to finish since I have no internet right now and have to go elsewhere for it. Anyways, on with the story!_

* * *

_**Chapter Three : Flashbacks and Discoveries**_

* * *

'_I think… I'm in your mind._'

Hitomi was shocked by this that she could not move or say anything. It was only when her lungs began to burn that she realized she was not breathing.

'_B-But how is that possible!_' Hitomi asked him, still trying to grasp the idea of it.

'_Draconian told me as we were leaving,_'Van explained, '_that if I was returned to my own body, I would only return to that place. After that I was here, seeing through your eyes. I saw myself lying on the bed. I heard your voice, and only you could hear mine. What's going on ?_'

'_I don't know…_'Hitomi gasps as Merle's face is once again an inch away from her own. " Gah! " Hitomi tips backwards in reaction and starts to fall backwards off the bed. Her next reaction was to grab onto something to keep from falling. Her blunder was that this "something" happened to be Merle's tail, which caused a high-pitched squall from Merle and for both of them to fly off the bed, Merle, running to a corner and sulking over having her tail pulled.

The door slid slowly open behind them at that moment, drawing Hitomi and Merle's attention to the unexpected movement. A man entered through the doorway. His narrow shoulders were slouched and his head was bent in shame, causing his chestnut brown hair to fall in front of his eyes, which they came barely below in length. He wore a thin, white jacket over a cerulean blue, collared shirt. The jacket had a small pair of outstretched hands on the left shoulder and is slightly wrinkled, as was the untucked blue shirt. His pants were the same blue as the shirt and in the same wrinkled state, the bottoms of which half-covered his black shoes.

He stopped just after entering and looked up, his green eyes wide in surprise at what he had walked in upon.

"Ah, excuse me! I'm very sorry, I had no idea anyone was... I'll wait outside," he stutters as he turns back to the door.

"It's alright. I was just about to leave," Hitomi said, halting his exit as she struggled to her feet. She gave one last glance at Van's body, sorrow and worry coursed through her heart.

'_I'm still here. I'm not leaving you,_' Van's voice whispered softly in her mind.

'_I know, It's just not the same, though,_' she replied as she leaned down and kissed him softly.

The stillness of his lips upon hers emphasized her words and caused withheld tears to course down her face. She broke the kiss and trailed her hand along his cheek. This turned out to be a mistake since she then could not take her hand away from his soft skin.

"You must be Hitomi," the man's voice snapped her out of the trance and she met the newcomer's gaze.

"Hai. Kanzaki, Hitomi," she replied, wondering who in Fanelia did not know her face. She stood up and faced him.

"I figured as much. No one else would show such open affection to Fanelia's king." Those words brought a deep crimson color to Hitomi's cheeks. The man let out a chuckle upon seeing this. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Oh, I must introduce myself." he walked forward and shook her hand gently. "I am Edwin Alrese, a doctor from Palas." His gaze fell sadly upon Van's body. "I'm one of many who were asked so long ago to find a cure for the King." He released her hand and then laid that hand he shook with across the said king's forehead. "Good, his fever's dropped a bit." He opened the black bag in his left hand that had not been previously noticed. "Excuse me. I need to check his vitals." He removed a stethoscope and, after placing the listening ends to his ears, placed the remaining end under the blankets onto Van's chest. He listened for a minute before putting it back in the bag with a relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness," he commented under his breath as he reached for another instrument. Hitomi heard it.

"For what?" she asked him, a bit worried again.

"The King hasn't stopped wheezing since before he got sick. Now his breathing is back to normal. This is such a relief." He turned his head towards her and she could see tears at the edge of his eyes. "Ever since I got here, people have said 'Hitomi is going to come, then the King will be alright.' I got so tired of hearing of this miracle worker that nobody knew how to find." He bowed his head deeply towards her. "Please forgive me. I was wrong to think such rudeness. You have done what I could not do for months. You truly work miracles."

For a moment, Hitomi felt the urge to tell him she wasn't, that she didn't have that power. However, when she saw the relief of stress on the man's face and the sparkle of hope that was missing in Fanelia, she couldn't say a thing. She couldn't find a reason to say the words to make that disappear. All she could do was lay a hand on his shoulder, give it a small squeeze, then turn and walk out the door, not saying a single word, leaving Merle and Edwin behind her.

Outside the room, a girl in her early teens was sitting against the wall, dressed in a simple brown dress. She looked up as Hitomi walked out and the she quickly got to her feet, twirling her brown curls of hair nervously.

"Lady Hitomi," she said, still nervous, as she bowed. "I am to show you to your room unless you wish to see your friends."

Hitomi smiled at her, and then started to ask the girl to take her to see her friends,

'_Talk to them tomorrow._'Van's voice said forcefully in her mind.

'_Why? I want to talk to them and tell them what's happened! Don't you want them to know you're alright?_' She countered.

'_It can wait. You're tired, Hitomi. You need to sleep._' Van replied, her argument seeming to fall on deaf ears.

She was about to argue when the truth hit her like a wave on the shore. It curled over and crashed upon her mind, wiping out all words of argument. It rolled upon the shore of her body, coursing through the rivers of blood to very tips of her toes, causing her knees to fail in exhaustion.

"Lady Hitomi!" the girl ran forward and supported Hitomi by the shoulders. "Are you sick, Lady Hitomi? Should I get the Doctor?"

"No, I'm alright." Hitomi assured her as she gained her balance once more. "I just realized how tired I was. So much happened today."

The girl nodded, then slowly released Hitomi. "I'll show you your room then, Lady Hitomi." She then began to walk down the hall. Hitomi followed her, though slightly annoyed.

'_How did you know?_,'she asked Van, a little ticked.

'_In truth, I guessed._ _I also know that a lot has happened to both of us today. You tend to be tired after an intense vision like that. But you never admit it._' Hitomi could picture the smirk on his face while saying those words.

'_More has happened than you know..._' she thought absently.

'_What do you mean?_'

Hitomi started to answer but the servant girl had turned left at the corner and stopped next to the first door to the left. The girl stood to the right of the door, faced Hitomi and bowed.

"Your room, Lady Hitomi. I was told to give you the closest room to Van-sama." she looked at the door with a sad expression. "It's a relief to have this room used once again. It has not been used since..." The girl went suddenly quiet.

'_Since mother disappeared,_' Van's voice finished the sentence for Hitomi to hear. His voice was monotone and really speaking to no one.

Hitomi's arm reached out of its own accord and slid open the door. Hitomi, realizing Van must have taken over, relinquished control to him and to his memories. He had her step into the room and images began to play in her mind as Van remembered happenings in this room.

* * *

**Vision**

* * *

"Mother! Mother, look what Folken gave me!" a small version of Van passed them to the right and ran to the bed in the far right corner where Van's mother, Lady Varie, sat on the bed, reading intently. She looked up as her son stopped beside the bed, a carved land dragon held towards her in his outstretched hands.

"It's beautiful, Van," his mother responded with a smile. "Make sure you take good care of it."

* * *

The scene shifted to a scene showing a young Folken standing in the far left corner, his hands above his head with curled, spread fingers. His face was contorted in a nasty snarl and he let out a roar towards the tiny figure in front of him. The figure's face was hidden behind a plastic knight's helmet and it carried a wooden sword, the point of which was pointed towards Folken. The figure stood before Lady Varie, protecting her from the "monster." 

"Roar!" Folken challenged the small figure. "Out of my way, runt! You think you can defeat me? I have beaten far more fearsome warriors than you!"

"You can't defeat me!" Van's muffled voice challenged the "monster" from under the helmet. "I'm Van from Fanelia! We are strong warriors protected by dragons!"

"Hah! That is a myth told to scare weaker monsters away. But I am strong! I don't believe in child's tales."

"Go, Great Dragon!" the younger Van raised the hand not holding the sword to reveal the figurine from the previous vision. "Protect the Queen of Fanelia!"

Van had the dragon swoop down from the air and slam into Folken several times. Folken pretended to be injured before falling to the floor.

"No! You are too strong." Then Folken lay still in pretend death.

"My hero. You have saved your queen! How can I ever thank you?" Lady Varie reached forward and embraced Van, which knocked off his helmet. She tickled her son and he doubled over in uncontrollable laughter. Then Folken joined in and a large tickle fight ensued.

Loud voices were then heard in the hall and the door was thrown open by a male servant Hitomi didn't recognize.

"My Lady, you must come quick! Lord Gao has returned from his trip and is gravely ill!" His words were rushed in urgency and shock.

The smiles died from everyone's face as Lady Varie leaped to her feet and ran out the door. Van looked towards his brother, unsure of what to do. Folken's own shock had rooted him to the spot he stood. He dropped to his knees and took Van in a tight embrace as sad tears streamed from his eyes, for Van was the only one Folken would let see him cry.

* * *

The vision jumped again to see Van, same age as the last vision, sitting in his mother's lap in the chair next to the window. They were both crying. 

"Mother, Folken's coming back, right? He's going to be alright. He'll fight the dragon then he's coming back." Van asked, looking up at her with hope in his eyes.

"Yes, Van. Folken will be back. He'll come back, but he will have other things more important to worry about when he does. And he will not be the same." Lady Varie hugged her son tightly, tears coursing down her cheeks.

"Mother, what do you mean. I don't understand mother!" Van began to sob loudly, repeating over and over how he didn't understand.

* * *

Hitomi understood. She knew that Folken's mother now knew what would happen to her son, and knew there was nothing she could do to change it.

* * *

"Why? Why are you leaving mother? I don't want you to go!" Van pleaded with his mother, keeping her from leaving the room as her tangled around her leg. 

"Gomen nasai, Van. There's something I have to find in the forest. I must know what has happened to Folken." His mother answered in great sadness.

"Then let me go with you! I don't want to be here alone!" Van broke into tears. He sat on the floor and wept, his hands releasing his mother's leg to wipe his tears.

His mother knelt next to him and gently grasped his shoulders.

"You must be strong, Van. Stronger than Folken. Stronger than your father. Soon, you will be of age to take the test to become King. Fanelia's future, and Gaea's future, will be up to you. "

She released his shoulders and walked past Hitomi without acknowledging her, then paused. She looked back into the room to the window where the Mystic Moon shown, covering most of the small space.

"It shines brightly tonight. Look at it, Van. So much lies on the abandoned world. I hope there will be no need to awaken the power connecting the two worlds." With that hanging in the air, she turned and left, leaving Van staring at the window, not noticing her absence.

"Mother?" he asked as he looked to where she had been a second ago. "No! Mother!" He burst into a fit of tears. "I'm not strong! I'm not! Mother!"

"_Mother knew all along,_" Van's voice came nor from her head, but right beside her. She turned in surprise and saw that the present day Van stood right next to her with tear trails down his cheeks.

"Van," Hitomi tried to say words of comfort, but nothing came to mind that she could say that he would hear.

* * *

"Lady Hitomi?" the voice of the servant girl cut off the vision and returned her to the present day. The room's layout was the same as it was then, as if it was still lived in. Hitomi realized then that the room was occupied. It was filled with the pain and sadness left by the Lady Varie, but also with the happy memories that were able to come before the pain and sorrow. Hitomi knew her intrusion upon that would not be welcomed. 

"I can't stay here." Hitomi decided aloud, startling the girl.

"Wha- Why not?" the girl stuttered, her nervousness clear upon her face.

"This room has many memories. Sad memories. I can see them; they're so painful. It would be wrong for me to stay where such memories reside."

The girl saw the truth in this and nodded.

"I'll show you to the next room then?" she asked, seeking assurance.

"Hai, those memories need time to rest." Hitomi turned slowly and left silently as she closed the door behind her.

They walked further down the hall in complete silence. Hitomi nearly shrieked at the sound of a giggle from the servant.

"What? Did I do something funny?" Hitomi asked her, willing her own heart to calm itself.

"Iie. I remembered what the next room is." The girl turned and walked backwards, not missing a step and kept her same pace. She smiled broadly at Hitomi. "Van-sama would be happy if he knew."

_'Indeed I am.'_ Van commented.

_'What room is it?' _Hitomi asked, her curiosity peaked.

_'You'll figure it out.'_ He replied cryptically, not helping much.

They came to the door to the next room, which was on the left this time and revealed no secrets as to who its owner was. Hitomi reached forward and opened the door.

She entered into a room surrounded by dark greens and many shades of brown. The walls around her were painted a very dark shade of green and the one dresser against the wall kept its natural wood color with a dark brown stain finish. The large bed frame was made of wood s well and painted with a lighter stain of brown. It had dark green sheets that were the same shade as the walls. The wooden headboard had the Fanel family's royal seal engraved upon it. Hitomi gasped upon seeing a familiar dragon figurine upon the nightstand next to the bed. She hurried over and picked it up in her hands, believing it to be an illusion. It wasn't, and if it was, it was a sad one indeed. The paint covering it was uneven, there were burn marks on the wood and one of the front claws had been burned off.

"This dragon was Van's, so was this room." She spoke it aloud, still unsure if she was dreaming.

The servant girl gave a bright smile.

"Yes it was. When I was young, conflict arose with Zaibach. Everyone was given assignments on what to do should we have need to evacuate. Van-sama and I often played together then and he asked me to save his dragon because it was his most precious gift from his brother. I promised him that I would." The girl blushed a little at this. "That was a while ago, so I slowly forgot about it. Then Zaibach did attack and Fanelia burned…" she gave a slight shiver then regained her composure. "Van-sama's room happened to be along the route to the secret escape passageway in this area. I saw smoke in the room and suddenly remembered my promise." She walked over and touched the dragon gently. "It was on fire when I rescued it. I managed to put out the flames but it's still damaged." She closed her eyes, the struggle to avoid crying was evident upon her face. "Gomen, Van-sama!"

_'Chelsea…'_ Van said softly, almost laughing. _'Don't you remember? I was so happy when I got it back after I thought it was lost. I had loved it so much, and Folken had just died and Hitomi had left. I was so happy that I didn't care.'_

Hitomi gently put the dragon back on the nightstand and gave Chelsea a tight, reassuring hug.

"Why are you sad? You were able to give Van back something he thought he'd never see again. You're a hero, Chelsea. It was the only possession to survive, and that's because of you. So be happy, okay?"

Chelsea looked up, smiled then nodded. "Hai. Arigatou, Lady Hitomi." Chelsea bowed to Hitomi. "I will leave you to sleep now. If you shall need me…" she walked over to the right of the bed and pointed out a small crest of Fanel set into the wall, "you only need to turn this crest. It will signal my quarters. Goodnight, Lady Hitomi." She bowed again.

"Goodnight, Chelsea." Hitomi replied. She waited until Chelsea left the room before she collapsed sideways on the bed. She let out a deep sigh. "So tired…"

Van let out a soft chuckle at her sudden change in energy. '_Sleep well, Hitomi_.'

"G'ni…" she fell asleep before she could finish.

* * *

_**Next Morning**_

Hitomi woke to someone gently, but determinedly, shaking her shoulder.

"Lady Hitomi, it is morning, you must wake. Oh, please wake up!" Chelsea's voice was now audible, a tone of urgency was heard as well.

"I'm awake, Chelsea. What's wrong?" Hitomi asked, hoping nothing had happened so quickly.

"There is a meeting of the Royal Council in almost an hour! I must have you ready." Chelsea explained.

Hitomi opened her eyes to see Chelsea pulling some clothes out of a closet blended well into the far wall, escaping immediate notice. To her surprise, Chelsea pulled out tomboyish-type clothes that looked like they would fit her. They were a pair of khaki style pants with a black belt and a green short-sleeve shirt.

"We'll have to buy you more appropriate attire later if you wish. This will do for now," Chelsea stated, walking back to Hitomi

"There are no dresses that would fit?" Hitomi asked, slightly bewildered at this thought.

"Yes, however, a dress would make wearing this considerably more difficult."

From under the clothes, Chelsea revealed a very well-known object. Encased in its usual blue sheath, Fanelia's royal sword gleamed like a newly polished jewel, looking to the world like it was not witness to the hardship of past years. Hitomi could only stare at it until realization dawned upon her.

"You want _me_ to wear this?" she asked.

"Yes, because Lord Van wishes it." Chelsea said, bowing slightly.

"Van does?" Hitomi asked, hoping Van would answer as well. She knew he was there, for she could feel his presence still in the back of her mind. However, he stayed silent.

"Last night," Chelsea explained, "The summon bell for this room rang in my quarters."

"I didn't ring it!"

Chelsea seemed unsurprised by this remark.

"I ran to the room as fat as a could to answer," Chelsea continued without stopping, "when I arrived, you said you had something you needed to tell me. You told you were Lord Van, rescued by Lady Hitomi. To prove this, you recited to me things only Lord Van and I shared, that he would not share with any other soul. You told me that when you awoke, you would be Lady Hitomi and that I was to entrust to you the royal sword. That you thought Lady Hitomi would need it. So, as ordered, I offer to you the sword of the King of Fanelia. Do you accept the guardianship, Lady Hitomi?"

'_Van?_' Hitomi said, knowing he knew what she wanted to know.

'_Take it Hitomi. Someone has to._' He replied in his usual gruff manner that Hitomi had learned to recognize as an embarrassed Van.

Hitomi nodded and took the sword from Chelsea.

"Oh, now you're going to be late! Sir Allen made it clear how important it was for you to be on time! Hurry, mistress!"

Hitomi hurriedly dressed, though Chelsea had to help her with the sword since she didn't know haw to wear it right. As soon as it was strapped on and Hitomi put on the sandals Chelsea gave her (which were slightly big since Chelsea had to guess the size) Chelsea grabbed Hitomi's hand and pulled her at a running pace through hall after hall until they came to a large set of doors. The guards at the door raised a curious eyebrow at the two out-of-breath girls before them.

"This is Lady Hitomi," Chelsea gasped out, "She was invited to attend the meeting."

"Sorry I'm late." Hitomi said, a little more in control of her breathing since she was a runner.

The guards looked questioningly at Hitomi's attire, then one of them seemed to recognize Hitomi and nodded to the other. They grasped the doors and opened them inwards. Inside, seated around a large table were 4 men Hitomi had not met before, Captain Benji (whom she could only WISH she'd never met), Allen, Prince Chid, Princess Millerna, and Dryden. Four of the group looked at Hitomi with a smile, the other five looked less than pleased to see her.

"Hitomi!" Millerna exclaimed in excitement as she got up and crossed the room to embrace her friend. Millerna stepped back with a smile. "Still dressing as a handmaiden, I see. And what's this?" Millerna asked noticing the sword. "Hitomi, that's-" Millerna stopped.

"Hitomi, why are you carrying Van's sword?"

Allen's question caused everyone who had not noticed the sword to look at it in surprise. Hitomi looked down at the sword, unable to return the glares of the four official-looking men she did not know.

"He wanted me to carry it. Van told me to." Hitomi said, still not looking up, but she caught the gasps of surprise in the room.

"Young lady," One of the men she didn't know spoke up. He was elderly, his hair almost gone; what was left was now a silvery gray color. Hitomi met his gaze as he continued, "are you trying to tell us you have spoken recently to Lord Van?"

Hitomi seemed unsure of what to say.

_'Just tell them you hear me.'_ Van advised.

_'Easy for you to say. You're not the one they think is crazy for saying such things. That and they don't seem to like me already.'_

_'Then it won't change anything. Would you rather explain that I'm now in your mind?'_ Van asked.

_'Not really.'_ Hitomi gave in. "I've been able to talk to Van since I came here. He doesn't know what's happening, but he wants me to help him make it right. He entrusted me with his sword as a symbol of that." Hitomi told the others.

"Impossible," One of the other men commented.

"I wouldn't doubt the notion so quickly, Corbin," another admonished the doubter. This one had gray hair as well, but his face was the kindest of the four that Hitomi faced. "Lord Van spoke highly of this woman's talents and five at this table have experienced this power first hand, and relied on it as well for valuable information." The man offered Hitomi a brief smile, as if trying to encourage her, "I also do not doubt, young lady, that Lord Van would entrust you to help him. He put more trust in you than in most of his advisors after you had returned to the Mystic Moon."

Hitomi allowed a smile of gratitude at his defense of her. Though Corbin, the one who had spoken up, did not seem appeased, he did not speak up again for the moment.

"If these details are quite through bickering about, Garret" the last unknown face commented. He seemed younger than the others, his hair only slightly gray. "Can we continue the meeting that was scheduled."

"Ah, yes, of course," Garret, the kind one, replied. "there is much to discuss. Please take a seat, Miss Hitomi." He gestured to the open seat next to Millerna at the end, across from himself.

Hitomi took the seat and everyone else returned to theirs.

"Now, as I was saying, and as a review for the new arrival, Lord Van's condition is grave. With the loss of all doctors of Fanelia in the battle against Zaibach years ago, our great allies have volunteered individuals to train new doctors. When the health of our King reached beyond the capabilities of those they trained, we sought their help once more, and it was willingly given with some of the best doctors I have encountered. All this time we have held to the hope that one doctor would find an answer to help our King. Our hope has not been in vain. Doctor Edwin Alrese, a visiting doctor from our allies in Palas has asked us to call this meeting so that he may announce his findings." Garrett turned to the guards at the door. "Let him in."

One of the guards nodded and opened the door, motioning to an unseen figure on the other side. The doctor Hitomi had seen before walked in and stood at the end of the table, resting a rather thick folder upon it.

"Good rulers and representatives of Fanelia and her allies, I thank you for holding this meeting on such short notice," Edwin spoke respectfully with a slight bow.

"Nonsense, doctor." Garret replied, "We all wish to know your findings and, hopefully, your cure for our King."

"Thank you. As you may be aware, I was a volunteer doctor sent by Palas in the hopes of doing just that. I admit, the illness the Lord Van suffers from was beyond anything I had experienced or heard of in my studies. However, in reviewing the medical documents that were rescued from Fanelia's original palace, I believe I have found what ails the King."

"And what would that be, doctor?" Corbin asked, his voice sounding impatient and bored, as if better and more important things awaited him.

"I found other instances of this illness in the history of some of the past Kings of Fanelia. More specifically, those Kings who had bonded with the Guymelef, Escaflowne," Edwin announced.

"We know of this, doctor," Allen pointed out. "I personally went to Escaflowne's resting place and looked it over. There has been no damage to Escaflowne's exterior."

"It is not what is on the outside that concerns me, Sir Allen. It is the inside. The very makings which allows Escaflowne to function."

"What?" Allen asked, shocked.

"Allow me to explain," Edwin continued. "As I mentioned, the only other occurrences of the illness Lord Van suffers was from past Fanelian Kings that had bonded with Escaflowne during a time of need. More precise, they had bonded and lived through the experience. In each instance, the bonded King died within ten years after the end of the conflict, all with similar symptoms and all with the same end result." Edwin paused, letting this information be thought over in the minds of his audience before stating this next fact: "The most recent of which, was Lord Van's own father."

"Impossible!" Corbin spoke out again. "Lord Gao died of internal injuries that he failed to report and receive proper treatment for! His negligence led to an illness beyond treatment."

"Indeed, that was the cause of death reported by the doctors. Curiously enough, the other Kings of Fanelia in similar circumstances all received similar statements concerning their cause of death. All of the doctors concluded that internal injuries sustained in battle led to a contaminant finding its way into the blood stream, killing the unfortunate King." Edwin held a stack of papers up as he spoke, passing them around so that they could look. Hitomi noticed that Corbin barely glanced at the papers before passing them along. When they reached Hitomi, she looked through them. They were medical documents of past kings, and all held the same conclusion as the cause of death: 'Internal injuries causing blood contamination.'

"The conclusion is not farfetched, doctor." Dryden spoke up. "Those of us who fought with Fanelia's king saw him take many injuries during battle when Escaflowne took a blow." He bowed his head slightly, remembering, as the others who'd experienced it were, the painful time when this truth had almost meant the death of Van.

"Indeed, sir. With this in mind, it seems unlikely that the King would not take extra care of his Guymelef, knowing quite well the consequences." Edwin explained.

Hitomi nodded her agreement, remembering the utmost care that Van treated Escaflowne, letting not even a small scratch go unmended.

"Are you suggesting the Kings purposefully left damage to Escaflowne in order to commit suicide?" One of the unknown men spoke up, his voice betraying his anger.

"No, sir. As I said before, I believe the cause is internal. Something so simple, it is hardly thought of." Edwin stated.

"What is it then, doctor?" Millerna asked him, clenching Hitomi's hand within her own, both asking for and giving support.

Edwin took a deep breath, bracing himself.

"As with all Guymelefs, Escaflowne operates from an energist power source. However, being the only Ispano Guymelef, it remain the only one that requires a non-fossilized energist from a recently killed dragon."

"Yes, doctor," Garrett said slowly, "it is this right that the heir to the throne must conquer before becoming Fanelia's King."

Edwin only nodded to this statement.

"To awaken Escaflowne, the King must be bound to it by blood, his own blood. It is this blood connection that allows the King to connect with the dragon Guymelef. While used as energy, the energist plays the role of the dragon's heart, beating with the blood of the King. However, when no longer needed, the energist is removed, though the bond still remains. With no purpose for its energy, the energist would shut down and fossilize, becoming something is was not originally. Another way to describe this, is to say that the drag-energist, the representation of both Escaflowne's and his pilot's heart, becomes contaminated."

Around the entire table, no one was able to come up with words to speak.

_**End Chapter Three****

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** _

**Keetra:** And I leave another cliffhanger….. yeah I'm mean like that. But at least now I have a little more time to write. I just wanted to get this much posted before I ran out of time again and this seemed the best spot since the chapter was getting long. Over a year to update…. That's bad even for me. I'm gonna work as fast as I can on the next chapter. There's a few details I still need to tweak a bit in my imagination. Alright, inspiration, don't let me down! -sigh- Well, I'll post this and hope for the best. Don't forget to review! I was so happy at the amount of reviews form the last chapter that I almost cried! And yes, I know I changed tenses in this chapter compared to the other two. I've had too many people off the internet complaining to me that the present tense writing threw them off, so I been trying to write more past tense. Tell me which you prefer! (Though, a lot of the time this means I write a scene as fast as I can which means present tense them I go through and switch the tenses. Sorry if I missed any! I know that can be confusing too…) Ja ne!


	4. The Solution

_**Return to My Heart (con't)**_

**_Keetra:_** Back again! Thanx for all the reviews and special thank you to banryuu for telling me that Gaean horses are called Yorkles. I wasn't able to find it anywhere, though I've been DYING to know. Thankies! And now, after much hard debate within my mind and many brain cells fried, I give you, the next chapter! Oh, and if it seems to be rushed…. Well, it kind of is. A lot happens in a fairly short period of time and they all need to be touched on, so sorry if it bothers anyone.

* * *

_**Chapter Four: **The Solution

* * *

_

Hitomi stared at Edwin in the aftermath of the shocking announcement.

_'Van, is that possible? Is it the drag-energist that's killing you?'_ Hitomi asked.

Hitomi heard Van sigh heavily.

_'It is. I knew it when I connected to Escaflowne.'_

This came as more of a shock than Edwin's announcement.

_'Then why? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you stop it?'_ Hitomi fought hard to keep from crying, knowing the others would see.

"Hitomi?" Millerna's voice cut off any response Van may have wanted to give. "Are you alright?"

Hitomi opened her eyes. Everyone except two faces were looking at her with different measurements of concern. Corbin and Benji looked annoyed.

"Van knew. He said he knew this would happen." She looked up at Edwin. "Can we stop it? Now that we know what we're dealing with, surely-" she stopped seeing the sad face of Edwin.

"I have determined the problem, yes. However, the solutions I found… I'm not as certain to how successful they may be."

"Go on, doctor." One of the nameless council members urged.

"The least dangerous conclusion, is to acquire another fresh dragon heart and create a new bond between the Guymelef and the King."

"You call THAT the least dangerous!" Corbin exclaimed, rising to his feet.

"The King must slay his own dragons. That is the law which was set in place to preserve the relationship between Fanelia and its protecting dragons." The elder council member recited as if teaching a young one.

"And how would you suggest he do that, old man!" Corbin challenged, fully aware of the disrespect he was showing.

"Gentlemen, please, calm yourselves. This option must be thought through logically." Garret cut in calmly.

_'Fools. Too busy arguing to realize it wouldn't work.' _Van commented.

"It wouldn't work?" Hitomi gasps, covering her mouth as she realizes she spoke aloud. Everyone turns to look at her.

_'Of course not. If my blood's contaminated or whatever, then Escaflowne would not recognize the blood as mine. It's like taking out a worn out energist from a Guymelef and putting another worn out energist form a different dragon, expecting it to work like a new one. Using a different dragon doesn't solve the problem.'_

"As I was about to say, and as the Lady Hitomi has said for me, I discovered this method would not work. The Lord Van's blood is too contaminated to form the bond needed." Edwin announced. "However, I do submit this as a remedy if the illness is identified sooner."

"Wouldn't that mean killing a dragon every few years? That does not seem right!" Millerna spoke up, shocked.

"As sad of a solution as it may be, Princess, it is a solution to be kept in mind."

Millerna looked like she wanted to disagree, but a squeeze of Allen's hand on her arm stilled any objections she would have voiced.

"The other conclusion would be to replace the King's blood with that of another draconian. When Zaibach's Strategos, also known as Folken, claimed sanctuary, he shared with us an invention used by Zaibach to produce his so-called 'Luck Soldiers.' He gave to us sketches of the design and a manual on how it could be used. I believe it could be used to replace the King's blood with that of another half-draconian." Edwin paused for a breath. "There are, however, many dangers and side-effects to be considered here. First of all, even Folken admitted to the high fatality rate of those who use the machine."

"He's dying anyways," Corbin chimed in, half downing a glass of wine.

Everyone ignored him.

"Another fact," Edwin continued. "This would permanently severe any link the King has with Escaflowne. Because Escaflowne would not recognize the blood as that of a Fanelian royal family, Lord Van, and any descendants of his, would never again be able to awaken Escaflowne."

"Outrageous!" one of the council members voiced.

"Indeed." Garret offered, "Escaflowne is the best defense that Fanelia has to offer. To do this would deplete our defensive capabilities."

"It's not the Guymelef that makes the good fighter," Allen objects, "but it is the warrior inside. All guymelef fighters know and understand this."

"The Escaflowne is no more than a symbol of our relationship with the dragons around this country." The old council member spoke again. "To break the pact with it is to break the bond between us and the dragons."

"You may have no choice." Dryden pointed out. "Unless you have another solution, doctor…" Dryden pauses.

Edwin shakes his head.

"Those were the only two that I could think of. I reached the discovery last night."

Dryden nodded.

"Since the first obviously cannot be considered now, the only one left is this one. You can argue about it for days, but remember the urgency of this situation. Your King is dying." Dryden stated with his usual lack of tact, "If you spend too long arguing about it, your King could be dead before you reach an agreement." With that, he stopped, meeting the eyes of those around him without backing down.

A moment of silence followed.

"Doctor," Garrett spoke up, "how long would it take to set your plan in motion. Does the King have enough time?"

Edwin sighs heavily.

"To tell the truth, it is difficult to say. His breathing and heart rate have slowed since the Lady Hitomi arrived, perhaps a side affect from her contact with him. My best estimate is that he may live for another three months. Though I suggest taking action within the second month, since the King's veins may start to deteriorate after then. I already has engineers constructing the device. They assure me it will be ready in less than a month."

"Good. Now, are there any further questions?" Garrett asks, looking around the table.

"I have one more, Doctor," Hitomi speaks up, "You mentioned Van's blood would be replaced by another half-draconian."

Edwin seems to anticipate her question then.

"Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me. Yes, since the King is a half-draconian, half-human, the blood needed to replace his would have to be of the same."

"You need us to find a half-draconian?" Allen spoke, bewildered.

"Doctor," Garrett spoke again, "I'm not sure you understand how difficult that would be. One does not simply walk out the front door and find a draconian, never mind a half-draconian. Do you intend for us to search the whole planet for something that very well may not exist outside the Fanelia royal family?"

"On the contrary, sir. I know there is one other. In fact, I already found her. Well, actually, she found me." Edwin nodded to the guards, who opened the door, startled to find someone standing outside it.

Through the door walks a young girl, looking no older than thirteen. Her pitch black hair reaches just past her shoulders and a few bangs cover the left of her crystal blue eyes. She wears a light blue jumper with a white tank top. Contrary to the little girl appearance, she steps through the room with the grace and presence of a full grown woman and does a small bow towards those at the table. Edwin walks behind her and puts his hands gently on her shoulders.

"Allow me to introduce Miss Daphne Dracon. She is a direct descendant of the first Draconian on her mother's side. Her father was human, a small merchant living in the outskirts of Freid. She tells me it is her destiny to help the King of Fanelia and has agreed to help us."

"Outrageous!" Benji nearly snarls, standing up in protest. "You expect our King's noble blood to be replaced by this woman's? Not even a woman! A girl, not yet old enough to do her duty as a woman. I will not allow it; it is an insult to Fanelia's leadership."

Hitomi's rage swells within her, as well as several others around the table. Benji's grudge and disrespect for women was well know, but would he really endanger his King's life because of it?

Surprised that Corbin has not spoken to this remark, Hitomi manages a glance in his direction. She is slightly surprised to see him faced-down asleep with his head on the table. Since no one has bothered to wake him up, Hitomi realizes she is not the only one who disapproves of him. A servant silently walks over and reclaims the empty glass as well as the almost empty bottle.

The doctor steps in front of Daphne and looks directly into Benji's eyes.

"Daphne is a half-breed Draconian. Even a full Draconian is hard to find in Gaea, their kind being horribly mistreated and despised for the demise of Atlantis. If you know of another half-Draconian, Captain Benji, then I suggest you bring this person here. I would not wish to insult the great kingdom of Fanelia by saving its King's life. If in one month, another half-Draconian is not found, Daphne will fulfill what she believes is her destiny, foretold at her birth."

Benji's hands shake in his anger at the obvious mockery. Unable to control his rage, he storms out of the door, knocking aside a guard that tries to stop him.

"Well, I guess that's it then." Garrett states, shaking his head. "By law, we cannot continue the meeting without all of the representatives. However, seeing as how all that's left is the final vote, I think we can safely assume what Benji would put as his. Now…" He turns back to the others, "All those in favor of the plan presented by Doctor Edwin for construction of the machine and the replacing of Van's blood with the blood of this half-Draconian female, raise your hand." Garrett raises his hand. Immediately, Dryden's hand follows, as well as Allen's and Millerna's. Prince Chid raises his hand soon afterwards, and the older council member as well. Then the other council member also raised his hand, though very slowly, as if waiting till the last moment for another option to be presented. Garrett looked to Hitomi, but Hitomi only looked at the girl. Daphne still stood behind Doctor Edwin, her head nodding approvingly as each hand raised. Then, she looked at Hitomi as well, the last in the room to not have placed a vote, besides Corbin.

_The girl. What would happen to her afterwards? Something doesn't seem right. She said it was her destiny, her fate, _Hitomi wondered to herself, shaking her head.

"Lady Hitomi?" Garrett asked politely, snapping Hitomi back to the present situation.

"Doctor… the girl… what will happen to her?" Hitomi asks, not breaking eye contact with Daphne.

Edwin shook his head.

"I do not know. The machine will extract enough of her blood to sustain the King. He will sleep for a while as the blood replicates itself within his body. This is what I know. However, what I do not know is how much blood that will require," Edwin admits.

Hitomi keeps looking at Daphne.

"You want this? You want to take this chance for someone you don't know? Why?" Hitomi asks her.

Daphne smiles slightly.

"It is my fate, told to me my a great seer when I was barely born. 'When a ruler's time is short, in your hands will be his life. In Fanelia, there comes a blood sacrifice.'" Daphne nods at Hitomi. "The King's time is short and I hold his life in the palm of my hands by offering my life as the blood sacrifice in the land of Fanelia. I have made my choice. What is yours, Hitomi Kanzaki?"

The entire room gasps as Hitomi shakes her head.

"No, I won't accept that. I'm sorry, but my vote is no. There has to be another way and I'll find it."

Daphne shakes her head, but says nothing.

"Your vote is noted, Lady Hitomi." Garrett replies. "The vote stands at six approve and three," he pauses slightly, with a glance at Corbin, "against. The majority has spoken in favor. Doctor, you may proceed with any assistance you may require."

"Thank you, counselor." Edwin replies with a slight bow. He turns and escorts Daphne back to the room they had entered from.

Garret turns to the remaining counsel. "If there is nothing else," He pauses, waiting for someone to speak up. No one does. "I call this meeting adjourned then. I bid all of you good day."

Everyone who was seated now rises and some begin to leave.

"Hitomi? Are you alright?" Millerna asks, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Fine." Hitomi replied glumly, before walking away from them and out the door. Chelsea stood, waiting patiently across the hall.

"Lady Hitomi, where shall I escort you to?" Chelsea asked with a slight bow.

Hitomi sighed. All the bowing was starting to aggravate her.

"Please show me to the Library, Chelsea. I want to look through some things."

"Yes, Mistress." Chelsea replied with another bow.

"And Chelsea, call me Hitomi, not Lady Hitomi. I want to be your friend, not your mistress. Is that alright?"

Chelsea smiled with glee. "Yes La-, I mean Hitomi. I would like to be your friend. Should I show you to the library now?"

Hitomi sighed, knowing Chelsea would take a while to sop being so formal to her.

"Yes, thank you, Chelsea."

Many long hallways later, Hitomi in a large room filled to the ceiling with books of all shapes and sizes, lined up very neatly on a vast number of dark brown wooden shelves. She walked between the aisles and the next aisle was filled with scrolls, stacked not quite as neatly with many small notes attached to the shelves here and there.

_'Hitomi, what are you hoping to find?'_ Van asked her.

_'A different solution. There's got to be a way that we can help you without sacrificing a little girl.' _

_'Doctor Edwin looked, Hitomi. He would not have brought it before the counsel if it would not work.'_

_'He only looked for one night, Van. I have a month to find something else.'_ Hitomi walked the aisles, looking for something that would give her a clue to what things were, but she barely knew any of the Gaean written language._'Van, help me, please.'_

_'Alright.'_ Van translated the scrolls, and told her a little of how everything was organized.

* * *

_For the next month, Hitomi looked through books and scrolls, always looking for another way, but each scroll held nothing that helped her and the books were only from the time they defeated the Zaibach Empire. Most of them held accounts of the lives lost, who was stationed where in the final battle and so on. Some of the books were dedicated to technology found in the Zaibach Empire, but most of it was inconclusive because of how advanced the technology was and only Freid was at a point where they understood some of the technology and adapted it to their use. Everything had been destroyed that was found, to prevent another country from repeating Zaibach's blunder.

* * *

_

_**A little over a month later...**_

Hitomi was in the library, yet again. By now, she had remembered a lot more of the Gaean written language and was able to read the scrolls with very little help from Van. She closed the last scroll on the table with a sigh.

"It's no use. I've read through most of these already. All the past Kings insisted that the doctors not try and help solve the illness, only to try and relieve the pain. I don't know where else to look, Van."

_'Take a break, Hitomi, you need it and so do I. We've looked for the month and not found anything. I think it's time we accepted Edwin's idea,' _Van told her gently.

Hitomi sighed, knowing he was right, again. She placed the scrolls back where they belonged and walked out of the library with a defeated pose. She walked down hall after hall, not really caring much where she was going. When her meandering landed her at the front door, she opened it, and walked out into the streets. All around her people called a greeting to her and waved. Hitomi waved back absently, but did not stop. Eventually she found herself walking into the woods and walking along a small path. Slightly curious, and with nothing else to do, she followed the path to its destination. She looked sadly at the grave of Van's brother Folken before turning her gaze to the right and looking at Escaflowne. The guymelef sat exactly where it was the last time she had seen it, crouched next to the grave as if guarding it.

"So," a voice cut in, startling Hitomi. The voice belonged to Daphne, standing not very far away, further back along the path Hitomi had followed. "This is the Escaflowne everyone is talking about?"

Hitomi nodded, watching as Daphne approached and made a slight bow to Escaflowne before laying a hand on the cold metal surface. Hitomi started to speak but Daphne held up a small hand.

"No, I want to tell you something first. I want to tell you why I want to help Doctor Edwin save King Van." Daphne sat down upon the ground and gestured for Hitomi to do the same. She waited until Hitomi sat before continuing. "As the doctor said, I'm half-draconian. My mother's side is very proud of their pure Draconian blood that is said to be directly descended to Draconian, the lady who found the Dragon Heart that allowed us to power the Fate Alteration machine and allowed our greatest desires to be granted." Saying this, she brought out a necklace hidden within a pouch around her waist.

Hitomi gasped as she recognized the necklace that was also around the neck of Draconian, the woman who had helped her to help Van.

"This is what is left of the heart." Daphne continued, "Though this may seem large, being almost the size of the energists used in the guymelefs, this is actually only a quarter of the size of the original. The Atlanteans, now referred to as Draconians, broke of small pieces and encased them within small pink jewels and wore them as necklaces. The remainder was encased in a jewel it barely fit and was presented to Draconian as a gift to show the world who had given them the ability. Later, after her death, the ones graced with pieces of the heart began to call themselves Draconians in her honor." She held the necklace delicately and with pride. "This necklace has been passed down to the first daughters of my family. My mother wore it as well. Then my mother fell in love with a human she met in her wanderings. It was awhile before she realized that she was with child and was afraid of what her family would do, so she went into hiding, saying she needed to get away. The man who was to be her fiancé went as well and died in a landslide accident. A few months after my birth, my mother went back to the village and claimed me as her fiancé's child, but no one was fooled. To them, it was obvious of my half-human heritage. They banned myself and my mother, accusing her for murdering her betrothed. A friend of my mother's, feeling sympathy, helped my mother find the village my father resided in and he happily took us in. My mother and her friend raised me, cautioning me to never reveal to any human what I was, telling me I would be hated and feared. When I was almost four years of age, my mother died, her dying wish being for me to have the necklace that was mine my birthright. Resla, her friend, insisted that I should, even if I was half-human. A year later, while in lessons secretly with Resla on how to fly, I was spotted by one of the villagers. Immediately, all the village turned against us and my father as well. Resla and father told me to run and never look back. I ran, as told, until a fell to the ground, barely able to draw breath." Daphne paused, a little as she held back a sob. Hitomi felt strong pity for her.

"I've never seen them again, even though I've asked everywhere if anyone has seen them." Daphne turned her face upwards, as if searching the skies. "I began to wander Gaea, not really knowing where I was going. I learned quickly how to hunt and find edible food and drinkable water. Eventually, I found a forest with other Draconians and they allowed me to spend the night there. It was that night that I was told the prophecy by an old lady there. Ever since, I've been wanting to fulfill it. I'm a half-Draconian, unwanted by both worlds. It's all that's left for me."

"But it shouldn't be! It's just wrong that the only reason you live is to die." Hitomi argued, hoping to help the girl.

"No, to help the king is the reason for my life." Daphne explained. "It was fate that I should be born half-human to save another half-human. He has people who love him, and a kingdom that mourns his illness. He was able to prove that he can help people. It was my fate to be born to save his life so that he could continue to change human attitudes towards those born with Atlantean blood. The one question that we always wonder is if our lives have purpose. I know this is my purpose; it is the meaning of my very existence. It is the reason I came here and sought out the doctor in charge. Please do not deny me the right to carry out my fate."

Hitomi is stunned by this girl's stubbornness in wanting to die. She had never come across another so driven to carry out such a sad fate. Most wanted to avoid such a sad end, and yet this girl was seeking it with all her heart. Hitomi sighed in defeat, making Daphne smile a little. The girl stood and bowed slightly to Hitomi.

"Thank you, for listening and for understanding." She said before walking off back down the path.

Hitomi sits in silence, watching her walk away.

_'You're going to let her do it?'_ Van asks bluntly.

_'I don't think I have much of a choice, Van. We couldn't find anything and I think she'd try to do this no matter what we said or did. All I can do now is hope.'_

They both stay silent for a while, relaxing as they had not done for a whole month.

* * *

**_One week later..._**

Hitomi and Daphne sat in one of the many courtyards surrounding the palace of Fanelia. The two laughed and talked like old friends, which they had quickly become over the course of the week. Some time later, Chelsea appeared with some cool drinks and the girls invited her to join them, which she did, though hesitantly; even though it's been a month, she was still unused to be being treated as an equal. The three girls looked up as a guard walked over to them from the other side of the courtyard. Chelsea jumped to her feet sharply and quickly dismissed herself. The guard bowed stiffly when he reached the two girls.

"Miss Daphne, Lady Hitomi, I was asked to summon you both for Doctor Edwin. He said it was urgent and for you to come right away." The guard tells them as if reading a prewritten speech.

Daphne nodded and got to her feet. "It is time then."

Hitomi sighed and got to her feet then they both followed the guard as he led them through hall after hall.

Hitomi watched with sadness as the doctors attached the last of the wires to Daphne's arms. Both Daphne and Van, lying on cots next to each other, were nearly buried in wires that were attached to so many different places on their bodies. In the room were the Fanelia council members (including Corbin, sadly, who was looking on with obvious disapproval), as well as Allen, Millerna and Benji, who was sulking in the corner. They all glanced up as Edwin cleared his throat after her finished checking over the connections.

"We are ready to begin." He states, then glances towards Hitomi, "Lady Hitomi, are you still in connection with the Lord Van?"

"Yes," she replies, slightly startled.

He nods. "If you would not mind, it may help us if you could tell us what you feel in the connection."

Hitomi only nods. _'Are you ready for this, Van?'_

_'Would they stop if I wasn't?'_ He asks, though Hitomi senses that the question is rhetorical. Van sighs, _'I'm as ready as I could be.'_

Hitomi nods. "Let's get this over with," she says aloud.

Edwin nods. "Begin," he says to the other scientists who are operating the controls.

One of the scientists flips a small switch and a slight hum fills the room. Immediately, Hitomi cringes slightly in pain.

"Hitomi?" Millerna looks at her, worried for her friend.

"I'm fine, it just hurts a little bit," Hitomi says.

_'It doesn't hurt as bad as I thought,' _Van commented, though Hitomi noticed his voice sounded slightly weaker as if being spoken from farther away.

"We are going to increase the power level now, Lady Hitomi," Edwin announces. "The pain will most likely increase, but if we keep it at this power level, we will lose them both."

Hitomi nodded, bracing herself. Slowly the pain grew stronger and more intense. What was a dull ache was now growing sharper like a fresh cut then became hot and searing like a hot iron against her skin. Hitomi felt drops of uncontrollable tears rolling down her cheeks and could not move her hands to brush them away. Then a new pain appeared, like a knife wound growing deeper within her chest, spreading wider and deeper with each passing second as the burning sensation raced along all the veins in her body. Hitomi cried out, Van's voice echoing with his own pain within her mind. The two separate pains became one, as Hitomi became unable to tell the difference between Van's body and her own.

Allen gasped as Hitomi's knees gave out and her body slumped to the floor. Grabbing under her shoulders and knees, he yelled at a shocked doctor to grab another cot or a chair. The doctor runs out and returns with a simple, straight-backed chair which Allen sits her into gently, holding up her limp shoulders to keep her from falling. Another doctor rushes over and, after opening her shirt completely, attaches some monitors to her.

"What's going on, doctor?" He asks, turning to Edwin.

"She is experiencing the pain within the body of the King, with whom she has connected with. I had not expected the connection to be this strong between them," Edwin rambled.

"Then turn own the power level," Allen ordered, but Edwin just shook his head.

"This is the minimum level we have to hold for the transition to be successful. We will monitor all three of them carefully and deal with any problems as they arise."

Allen buries all impulses to kill the human before him and turns back to Hitomi. _Hang in there, Hitomi. We're counting on you,_ he pleads.

Everyone in the room holds their breaths, all praying everything would be safe. They all look up hearing a fast beeping sound from on of the machines.

"Doctor!" One of the nurses exclaims, "the King's heartbeat has increased rapidly. His heart is trying to distribute the small amount of blood remaining, but it's overworking itself!"

"Start the transference from Daphne! The machine is programmed to only remove the blood with his unique DNA code."

The nurse nods and works over at another console. After a few minutes she shakes her head. "His heart is not slowing down, doctor, even with the new blood. If we don't slow it down, the heart will crash!"

Edwin runs to another corner and grabs a tray lying on the table there. Bringing it back with him, he balances it on a console and removes a needle from the surface. After removing all air bubbles form the tube, he injects it in the middle of Van's chest, where his heart would be. The beeping monitor starts to beep slower for a moment then beats faster than before.

"It's not working. Pulse is continuing to rise." Another beeping joins the first from another console. "Doctor, Hitomi's heart rate is starting to increase as well. Pulse is quickly reaching a critical level."

The doctor grabs another needle and walks over to the chair where Allen now is having hard time keeping a thrashing Hitomi from falling out of the chair.

"Lay her on the floor, she'll hurt herself on that." Edwin says, as he pushes the slightest air bubbles out of the needle. Allen does this and Edwin plunges the fluid in the same way he did with Van. Edwin looks back at the nurse, who shakes her head.

"No change. Pulse is continuing to rise in both patients."

Edwin looks perplexed, then gets a determined glare.

"Increase blood flow from Daphne."

"Doctor, any more and she'll reach critical!" one of the other doctors exclaims.

"Do it! We have to take the chance or all three will be gone."

The nurse nodded and worked some controls. The beeping only increased and no one needed to hear the nurse's announcement to know things were only getting worse. The two beeping monitors continue to beep faster and faster until it seems that the beeps merge, forming one long sound. It takes a moment for the nurse to realize that one of them _is_ only one long sound.

"Doctor, the King's heart has crashed!"

"Get the heart machines ready! We need to get it beating again! Grab the other in case if hers decides to do the same."

A few doctors rush to the corner to grab two machines hooked there. After wheeling them over, they begin to connect them to various points on their torso. Edwin presses a button and sends a shock through Van's body, making it jump, but the beep continues solidly.

"Van…" Hitomi whispers aloud, drawing the whole room's attention, "Don't go without me, Van. Don't go-" Hitomi's breath stops mid-sentence.

The second beep joins the first in a solid shrill sound.

* * *

_**End Chapter 4**_

* * *

Keetra: And my reign of nasty cliffhangers continues. And banryuu, I'm sorry, but it was too tempting. :P You're the only one that knows how it turns out, so keep the secret, okay? I promised and I'm not going back on my word, so please don't be sad and get mad at me. winks 

Cassandra: I still think you should've used my idea…

Keetra: Well, the cliffhanger _was_ your idea, so people should get mad at you, not me.

Cassandra: No, the other idea!

Keetra: Oh, you mean that instead of Daphne giving the long speech on her past she just takes out a book, hands it to Hitomi and says "Here, I wrote an autobiography explaining why I want to die. Please read it and you'll understand. Oh, and there are pictures too!"? I think my idea woks better… even if she does seem a little out of character for an early teenager. But Hitomi's the first one who wanted to listen to her so she started rambling…

Cassandra: And you shortened it from what it was.

Keetra: yeah…. The original "speech" was almost two pages long…. Even I don't like reading something that long without any breaks in between. Though… I've probably talked that long…

Cassandra (aside to readers): she does.. I live with her so I know.

Keetra: -whacks roommate- Hey! Anyways, guys, please review and don't hate me too much… heh heh. Ja ne!


	5. All Good Things

_**Return to My Heart** (Con't)_

**Keetra**: I'm back again! -backs away from all the mad reviewers from last chapter- Alright alright! Here's the next chapter okay? Oh, and just so you all know, it's the last one. :P I'm sad and happy at the same time. Read on, "patient" reviewers :D (Wow, I wrote a short intro this time! Yay for me:P)

* * *

**_Chapter Five: All Good Things…_**

* * *

Edwin nearly flew to the console where the nurse was sitting, shocked. Completely ignorant of her presence, he stared intently at the information flowing from the unit in front, monitoring all vital statistics of both of the patients. Something he saw triggered action, for he grabbed another tray from a nearby storage and ran back to the two bodies of his former patients. Quickly filling the clean syringe with the medication from the tray, he injected it with more force than necessary into the arm of Hitomi. He did not wait before filling it again and repeating the procedure with Van's body. 

Everyone held their breaths, the only sound being the single beep from the vital monitor of Daphne, who was in the safeness of dreams. Another slow beep cautiously mingled with its sound, uncertain at first, then gaining in strength to match its beeping. Simultaneously, a breath escaped forcefully from the lungs of Hitomi, turning quickly into a hacking cough. Despite the danger, everyone present was greatly relieved and helped Hitomi to ease her breathing as Edwin attached a breathing apparatus to her nose and mouth. They turned in surprise as another beeping entered the orchestra of sound, followed close behind by Van's own gasping. Edwin reached over and attached another apparatus to Van, causing his breathing to ease and slow into even, controlled breaths.

Edwin looked back at the monitors. "They're safe. The transfer is going smoothly now." He wiped trails of sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve.

Everyone in the room sighed with relief that the danger was now over; at least, it was over for now. Merle reached out a tentative paw and placed it gently onto Van's arm, careful not upset any of the instruments. Faintly she could feel his steady pulse causing minute vibration against his skin. Though it synchronized perfectly with the beeping monitor, to feel its touch beneath her paw gave her a realism in the life of her childhood friend.

For the next half hour, no one seemed to move except the nurse, who would only glance towards the screens then look back at the three sleeping figures of her patients. Occasionally, Edwin would come over to look, then he would look back at the others. At the end of the half an hour, the nurse spoke up.

"Doctor, the blood transfer has reached the minimum safety level. The reading indicate that both patients should survive if the transfer is discontinued at this point."

Edwin walked over to double check her report.

"Cut the transfer, nurse." Edwin turned back to the others. "Good news, I'm happy to say. Though startling, the... incident earlier caused a balance of the transfer between Daphne and Van. I was a little worried at first, but the dose of adrenalin I gave to both Van and Hitomi seemed to balance the flow better than I predicted. Both of them should recover safely. However," he looked at all the occupants sternly, "all _three_ of them will need plenty of sleep for a few days to recover their energy. I am now revoking any visitor rights until all three patients are awake." He waited a moment then seemed annoyed when no one made a move. "Ahem, this is effective immediately." Still no one moved as they stared at him. "_Move it_ people. I have recovering patients I need to attend to."

Allen was the first to move and he tapped Millerna to do the same. Seeing them leaved jarred all but Merle from their revere and they all exited. Edwin glanced at the cat-girl who was still hovering over Van. She turned her head and gazed at him with large, innocent eyes.

"You're sure he'll be alright? Van-sama isn't going to die now?" While innocent like a child, her gaze told him not to try any nonsense with her; he would regret it if he tried it. Edwin sighed.

"To that, I am still uncertain. I need to run a few tests to make sure, but he should be out of danger from that now."

"But what if there's some of it left? What if that... _thing_ didn't find all of it? What then?" Merle asked, her tone climbing closer to hysterics with every question. Edwin gave her a small grin.

"I can treat the infection on that kind of minute scale. My first scan will be to determine that very fact. Then I will monitor how his body reacts and functions with the new blood in its system. I modified the program to extract only the damaged blood so there _is_ still some of Van's original blood present; enough to keep his body from rejecting it outright. You can rest easy now, miss. The worst is over." He laid a gentle hand on her arm, squeezing it reassuringly.

Merle slowly turned and walked towards the door. When she was less than a foot from it she slowed to a cautious stop. Slowly, she turned back and glanced at her friends Van and Hitomi. Then she turned her gaze once more towards Edwin.

"Could I... stay. At least... until you finish the tests on them." Merle wrung her paws together as she spoke meekly, "Then, if you want, I'll leave until they wake up. But, I just... I don't want to leave unless they're really safe."

Edwin gave her an understanding nod and grinned. "Would you like to help? There's no room for useless hands or paws in this room right now."

Merle's mood was significantly brighter as she hurriedly returned to Van's bedside.

* * *

**Two Weeks Lat**er

* * *

A pair of eyes opened slowly, squinting harshly against the little bit of light the pupils were now exposed to. Through the narrow slits, Hitomi peered at her surroundings only to see the small cot she lay on with the bright white sheets, and a nightstand that was covered with flower bouquets with small cards there from her friends. Other than that, the room was a dull beige color with no other decoration. Hitomi tried to raise her head, only to flop it back down again as a wave of dizziness overcame her sense of balance and caused the room to spin, defying all forces of gravity. She squeezed her eyes, tight, still sensing the imbalance of everything around her. Slowly, the spinning slowed and finally stopped and Hitomi chanced opening her eyes once more. Content now that the room had stopped its dizzying movement, she sighed heavily and relaxed.

_'It's over now. Everything is over in that room. We'll be alright. Won't we, Van?'_ Hitomi thought happily. Her eyes widened a second later. _'Van? Did you hear me?'_ She waited, but Van did not respond. She struggled upright, ignoring the pain in her muscles and the sickness within her stomach.

"Van?" she spoke aloud, but she did not recognize the dry croak of a whisper as her own voice. She looked around for something to wet her throat but found nothing of use. "Van?" she tried again, this time was slightly louder. "Please, somebody, answer me? What's going on?" Hitomi heard nothing, and this saddened her. For the first time since she came to Gaea this time, she felt totally and completely alone, and this feeling frightened her. Tears feel from her eyes that she did not even attempt to hold back. Instinctively, she licked every tear that fell, her throat rejoicing at even so small of an amount of liquid touching its cracked edges. "Please," Hitomi said, her voice louder again, "somebody hear me? Why can't anyone hear me? Somebody, please answer me. _Please!_" Hitomi cried harder, her face now buried within her hands.

At that moment, the door slid open to reveal a nurse she had not seen before. The woman stopped at the entryway, each woman as surmised as the other at seeing each other. The nurse quickly turned and ran back down the hall, dropping her instruments as she yelled, "Doctor, come quick! The Lady Hitomi is awake!"

Hitomi tried to call after her, but it was no use, the nurse was too far for Hitomi's parched throat to carry to. Hitomi sighed in defeat, waiting for someone else to show up. Across the room, she noticed a sink attached to the wall. Now, all she needed to do was get over to it... Hitomi moved her arms, stopping when the movement caused tingling sensations to race along her entire appendage as the blood re-circulated through her limb. She waited for it to stop before she repeated the movement in the other arm, not surprised at the tingling sensation that movement made as well.

_How long have I been asleep?_ Hitomi wondered, then brushed the thought aside.

She gripped the handlebars of the bed and used them to pull herself into a sitting position. Her vision blacked for a second as the blood now rushed to overcome gravity to bring the vital blood through to her brain. When the spots cleared, she found the catch to lower the handlebar on one side and swung her body so her feet dangled over that side. Again, a numbing sensation swept over her, this time through her legs as her body once more tried to compensate for the sudden movement. That passed quickly and Hitomi took a deep breath, steeling herself as she pushed from the bed, putting her weight upon her feet. Hitomi barely grabbed the bed again in time as her knees buckled beneath her, unable to carry the weight. Hitomi mouthed a silent curse as she struggled to get her legs to accept the weight but they continually refused. Hitomi sunk to the floor, tears of defeat rolling down her face as she cursed at her body's own weakness. In her depression, she failed to hear the feet pounding down the hall to her door until the sound of the footsteps entered the room. Hitomi looked up to see an out-of-breath Allen looking at her in shock.

"Hitomi?" Allen ran over to her and knelt before her, worry evident upon his handsome features. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"Water." Hitomi managed to croak. When Allen looked at her with the expression of not understanding, Hitomi simply pointed to the sink and pantomimed drinking from a glass.

"Thirsty, huh?" Allen asked softly, running a hand through her hair. "You scared me, Hitomi. I thought you had fallen out of the bed for a second there." Allen laughed at the silliness of that thought, stopping when Hitomi simply glared at him and pantomimed drinking again. "Alright, a lady should not have to tell me twice, I'm sorry. Let's get you back in the bed first though."

Hitomi nodded in agreement and allowed Allen to lift her back to the bed and move her legs back under the covers. When he was sure she was comfortable, he walked over to the sink, found a cup on a nearby shelf, filled it with water, and brought it back to Hitomi. Hitomi reached eagerly for the glass but Allen kept it from her reach.

"I know you're thirsty, Hitomi, but drink this slowly in small sips. Your stomach hasn't had anything in days so it needs time to remember how to work correctly." Allen flashed her one of his winning smiles that would have most women doing whatever he asked. Hitomi just gestured for the glass impatiently; she'd grown immune to that smile. Allen just chuckled and handed her the glass. Despite her incredible thirst, Hitomi managed to drink only small sips as Allen had told her to. After about ten of these she lowered the glass and took a deep breath. The cold water did wonders for her sore throat and she managed a smile at Allen, who'd been watching her to make sure she followed instructions.

"Thank you." Hitomi whispered, happy that her voice did not crack anymore.

"You're welcome, Hitomi. You had us all worried you would not wake up when the others did." Allen told her, grasping her hand gently in his. Hitomi allowed this, knowing he was worried about her.

"How long?" Hitomi asked softly after taking another sip of water.

"Two weeks," Allen replied, surprising her. "The Draconian girl woke up three days after the transfer and Van woke up four days after her. You had all of the doctors stumped; they all said you should have woken up the day afterwards. Then, of course was the fact that the doctor would not allow any visitors until all three of you had woken up so the Council was getting a little annoyed."

Hitomi giggled slightly at the thought of those old men fretting over their King. Then that brought her thoughts back to Van.

"Van, is he alright? Can I see him?" Hitomi asked, looking at Allen with pleading eyes. Allen looked nervous under the gaze.

"I think it's better if you wait for the doctor, Hitomi. He's in a meeting with the Council and I had heard the nurse running to the other side of the castle, calling for him and yelling that you were awake." Allen replied with his most apologetic tone.

"But then all the Council members are going to be with him and they would not let me in. Please, Allen! I'm fine, I just have to see Van but I need you to carry me since I can't walk yet. Allen, I have to know he's okay. Please," the last word was spoken as a light whisper as Hitomi tried to hold back her tears. Her entire body yearned to know that Van was okay, angry with itself that it could not get there on its own. She looked up as she heard Allen give a deep sigh.

"I never could say no to you or Millerna, could I?" He replied with a smile. "Alright, Hitomi, I'll help you. But then you're going to wait for the Doctor and follow his advice." Hitomi nodded in agreement. Allen took the cup from her hands and placed it on a nearby table. He slid the sheets off her and slid his arms under her shoulders and knees. "Ready?" he asked, getting ready to lift her.

"Yes." Hitomi replied.

Allen lifted her easily and carried out of the room, careful not to bump her into the doorframe. He walked slowly down the hall, weaving between people, some of them recognizing her and saying hello and saying how happy they were to see her awake. Hitomi smiled and thanked them, inwardly wishing they would leave her alone so that she could see Van quicker. Finally, they were in the hall that Hitomi recognized as the one leading to the room where she had first seen Van when she had returned. The guard at the door looked shocked to see Hitomi.

"L-Lady Hitomi! I had not been told you had woken up! You should be in bed." The guard stuttered.

"According to Allen, I've been in bed for a long time." She swung her legs out of Allen's grasp and stood on them, Allen supporting her on his left side as she looked the guard square in the eye. "I have to see him."

The guard became very nervous at this and avoided eye contact.

"No one is to enter until Doctor Edwin gives permission. I'm sorry, Lady."

Before either of them could speak another word, Allen had drawn his sword and pointed it towards the guard.

"Let her in. I, Allen Schezar, will take full blame. Now let her pass. The doctor stated no visitors until Hitomi awoke and she has. Now she wants to see him. Let her through."

The guard made as if to protest, his hand crossed over to draw his own blade.

"Portis! Let her in." Van's voice came from inside the door.

"My Lord, I cannot!" Portis replied, but his hand paused in midair and Allen's grip loosened slightly on his blade.

"I said let her in." Van's voice replied and the door opened to reveal Van standing in the doorway. "Allen, you'll have to stay out here. Edwin said I could have only one visitor at a time. Tch, that doctor still thinks I'm too weak to do anything."

Allen smiled at Van's protest.

"He told you not to be walking around again?" Allen said with a wink, giving Hitomi the impression that Allen had found a way into Van's room despite what the doctor said.

"Hmph. I can walk and I know when to take a break without him hovering over me." Van replied, crossing his arms over his chest determinedly. This made Hitomi giggle and Van turned to her with a smile. "You're finally awake, Hitomi. You had me worried."

"I'm sorry, Van." Hitomi replied, lowering her head slightly. "I hadn't meant to."

Van walked over to her.

"Of course not," he replied, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders, "Come. The doctor would not let me see you until you woke up." Van laced one arm under her arm and around her shoulder blades. "I'd carry you, but I think it would be better for your legs to get some exercise." Hitomi nodded and walked in with Van, him taking most of her weight on himself.

The inside of the room was now much brighter than the last time. Hitomi barely had time to witness this before she was pulled tight into Van's strong embrace, one she returned with all her heart.

"Hitomi, I thought I would never be able to do this again. All those years... even when you came back, I could not hold you, yet you were here." Hitomi gasped as she felt a tear land upon the sensitive skin of her neck.

"Van," she began but Van cut off her sentence before it began.

"You're going to leave me again. Even after all of this, you'll leave me for the Mystic Moon. You'll leave and I'll be dead inside once again. To be able to talk to you, even see you sometimes, but I'll never be able to touch you like this." Hitomi felt her heart tear in two hearing Van talk like this as his tears flowed unchecked down his face and onto her neck, soaking the rim of her collar. "Stay with me, Hitomi. I know what happened at your school. I read it in your mind while you were asleep. There's no future for you there. I'm offering you a future here, with me. We could bring your family here. I'm sure if we wish hard enough for it, it can happen. I'm willing to do anything, Hitomi. Please, just stay with me."

All strength gave out in Hitomi legs and she brought them both crashing to the floor, Van landing on top of her. The jolt seemed to knock Van to his senses and he quickly got off her and sat, facing away from her.

"I'm sorry. I understand if you still want to go. I mean, the Mystic Moon is your home and all so it just makes sense that you'd want to go back." He started to babble.

"I want to stay."

"I thought you'd say that. I'll have the servant get your stuff ready for you to leave. We can arrange for everyone to say goodbye later since you'll need all the energy you can get for the trip back." Van continued with the babble, barely pausing for breath.

Hitomi let out a small giggle and placed a hand on Van's should making him jump and look back at her, causing him to stop his ranting.

"I want to stay. Here, with you, is where I belong now. You're right. Mother and Father can come here with my brother if they want." Hitomi hugged him again, the hug awkward since she was hugging his back. "I always told myself, when I went back, that having met you was enough. That just knowing that I loved you and that my love was returned was enough to make me happy. I was lying. Every time I'd see a couple kissing in a corner, I'd wish that you were there so that I could kiss you and my arms would want to hold you like this, but they couldn't. I can't go back to Earth. I belong here."

For one full minute, neither of them moved. Then Van's eyes lowered to look down at her and he turned slightly more towards her.

"You mean it?" he asked in a tentative tone, as if he expected this to not be real, for Merle to pop out of the disguise and scream 'Fooled ya! Van-sama, you should see your face!' but that did not happen. Instead his every wish got answered as Hitomi's lips found his in a passionate seal of their love. No words were needed, for the two were too caught in their body's yearning for each other to hear the sound of the guard closing the door to the room that they had forgotten to close.

* * *

**Twelve Years Later

* * *

**

"Cerise! Wait for me!" a little boy called after the distant figure that continued to run. He let out an annoyed grunt, pushing his unruly chestnut brown hair back from his amber eyes.

"Hurry up, Lowell. I told you it was a race, so come on!" Cerise looked back with her shining jade eyes that stood out from her pale face, peeking from behind her long black bangs. The rest of her hair was tied back in a low pony-tail, the end of her hair reaching just past her shoulders even while up. She took pity on her brother, however and stopped to wait for him as he panted across the distance separating them. She smirked as he finally closed the gap and fell to his knees, panting for breath. "You're out of shape, brother. It's no wonder I keep on beating you." Cerise flashed him a winning smile.

"I never said I wanted to race," Lowell muttered unhappily. Cerise just smiled wider.

"Come on, Brother. Grandmother should be there already." Cerise said, tugging on his arm to move him forward. Lowell sighed.

"Fine, but can we walk now, please?" Lowell begged his sister, giving her his best 'pity me' look. Cerise just laughed.

"Alright, slowpoke. Should I hold your hand too?" Cerise teased. Lowell just shoved her away, got to his feet and walked forward angrily. Cerise giggled watching her 6-year-old brother stomp away. It wasn't _her_ fault that he was two years younger than her and so much fun to tease! She ran up to catch up to him. "You mad at me?"

"Of course!" Lowell replied icily. Cerise smirked, knowing he had gotten to the phase where he didn't want to be treated like a little kid anymore. Still, it was another tool to tease him with.

"Guess you don't want me to walk with you then. See ya!" Cerise called the last two words over her shoulder as she took off once more, leaving Lowell gaping after her in shock.

"Sis! Watch out!" Lowell cried. Cerise looked behind her only to be barreled over by the flying form of her brother. "Caught ya!" Lowell announced, throwing himself into a fit of laughter. Cerise joined her laughter with her brother's.

"Alright, you got me. Now let me up already, will ya?" Cerise said wit a smirk. She may be faster on the ground, but her brother was far better than her when it came to flying. "How about we make this more fun?" Cerise asked while they both got to their feet, the look of challenge in her eyes. Lowell met her gaze with one of his own, knowing a challenge when he heard one.

"What is it, sister?" He asked, fairly certain he already knew what she would say.

"Another race, of course," She announced, making Lowell groan, "but with a twist. Me on the ground and you in the air." Lowell's eyes lit up hearing this, "Let's see who's really better. Oh, and once we hit the forest," she pointed to the forest 20 yards away, "you can't fly above the top of the tress. Sound good? Or are you too scared to be beaten by a girl at something you're good at?" Cerise smirked, knowing her brother could not resist this opportunity to beat her at a race he had a chance at.

"You're on!" Lowell accepted the challenge, returning his sister's knowing smirk with one of his own. Both of them crouched down low, Cerise in the typical racer's start, Lowell preparing for the lunge upward.

"Ready," Cerise called and both tightened their leg muscles, "GO!" she cried, lunging forward as her brother gave mighty leap in the air. Both the siblings raced as fast as they could towards the tree line, each concentrating only on their target. They hit the tree line, Lowell barely ahead of Cerise, though neither was aware of it. Now their attention was only on avoiding the obstacles in front of them. Every leaf, trunk, bush and vine seemed to leap out from their surrounding and attempt to tangle or trip them, but each obstacle the racers managed to swerve at the precise moment, barely letting it affect their momentum. They lunged, dived, swerved and jumped, each using every advantage and skill they had to propel themselves forward to reach their goal. Then the obstacles parted, revealing a clearing with a large headstone surrounded by a low rail. In front of the rail was laid out a cloth of a red and white pattern, with a human sitting upon its surface, looking up at the large 'Melef that loomed to her left, looking as if it guarded this sacred sanctuary. The woman turned as she heard the sound of the two racers and her face cracked into a kind smile.. With a knowing nod, she reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a large napkin and unfolded it quickly and stood up. As the racers passed her she waved it wildly. Both racers managed to stop just before the rail and turned to look back at the woman, each panting heavily from their exertions.

"Who won?" they both asked simultaneously, making the woman smile.

"A tie. You both passed me at the same moment," she replied in Japanese. Both racers looked at her in shock.

"That's not possible, obaa-san!" Cerise protested, easily switching her language to Japanese, remembering her grandmother still struggled to learn the Gaean language.

"Hai, obaa-san! Don't say that just to make us feel better! Tell us who won!" Lowell pleaded, landing on the ground next to his sister and retracting his wings. Their grandmother just smiled through their pleas.

"Would I lie to you about something like that?" she asked with an angelic smile.

"Yes!" Cerise and Lowell replied, smiling back.

"Well, I didn't this time. So, to the victors go the rewards, and there's plenty of rice balls for the both of you," Grandmother replied, reaching down behind her and grabbing the open container of rice balls.

"Yatta!" Lowell cried, reaching forward and grabbing one, "you're the best, obaa-san. Arigatou!"

"Arigatou!" Cerise added as well, taking a rice ball for herself.

Everyone looked up at the sound of a whinny.

"Looks like your parents have arrived now." Grandmother replied, facing the direction of a narrow path that led to the left of the woods. There, two Gaean horses were seen, charging at full gallop down the path, each narrowly avoiding boulders, branches and each other. The horses were reared in at the edge of the clearing and their occupants dismounted easily, revealing the riders as Van and Hitomi, each dressed in Gaean clothes with Hitomi in yet another tomboyish outfit. Cerise smothered an urge to giggle as she knew that Princess Millerna would be throwing a fit right now if she knew. She smiled seeing the Atlantis Stones, as they were now referred as, around both of their necks. Both their parents claimed the second stone had appeared on Van's pillow the night that Daphne had disappeared. Though they both thought Daphne had left it as a gift, no one had seen the Draconian girl again. "Hitomi, Van. It's about time you joined us."

Hitomi smiled but Van looked confused for a moment then finally smiled as well. Van had not been able to learn Japanese at all, since he spent most of his time ruling his country. However, Hitomi and Van had been able to establish a mental link thanks to their stones, so Hitomi usually translated for him that way.

"Sorry we're late, okaa-san," Hitomi replied, "The meeting ran longer than both Van or I thought it would, then," Hitomi paused slightly and looked at her daughter with a mischievous smile, "we got an important letter addressed to Cerise."

"A letter? For me?" Cerise's eyes lit up with excitement as she received the rolled up parchment from her mother. She unrolled it carefully as if scared it would fall apart in her hands. "To Cerise Hana Fannel. May it please you to know we have accepted your request to participate in the Gaean Festival Race, as part of the celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the Allies' defeat of the power of Zaibach's empire. All racers are required to arrive exactly one full day before the start of the race in the country of Freid. Congratulations on your acceptance. I looking forward to seeing you once again. Signed, King Chid." Cerise said nothing for a full 5 minutes as her eyes scanned the letter over and over again, her mouth outlined the words while not sound passed them. "I was... accepted?" Her voice finally questioned the words.

"Don't be so surprised," Hitomi told her with a smile, "You've won every race held in Fanelia, even ones that _I've_ participated in. The race asked for the racing champions of all the Allied countries and there's no one in Fanelia who would deny that you are Fanelia's champion. Though," Hitomi gave Cerise her most serious stare, "You still need the permission of both the King and Queen of Fanelia to participate."

Cerise's hopeful expression instantly faded seeing her mother's serious face.

_What have I done wrong? Mother was encouraging me to participate in this race! Have I forgotten something? Did I offend Father in some way? _Cerise gasped at the sudden thought that passed through her mind. _I forgot to ask father for permission! I did not want to bother him while he was busy preparing Fanelia's portion of the Festival, and mother told me he approved! I should have asked him. I should have known that he does not like to be left out in that way. _

"I'm sorry, Father. I knew you were busy and had thought it best not to bother you, but I should have still asked your permission in person." She apologized, switching back to Gaean. In the background, she heard her brother softly translating for their grandmother, but she tuned it out. "Please, Father! This race means a lot to me. I've been working hard for the past year to be able to participate. I'll do better on my studies, I'll... I'll tease Lowell less," she heard Lowell's voice get more excited as he translated this, "I understand your feelings, Father, but please, I beg you to forgive me and allow me to participate in the Festival Race." Cerise bowed low to her Father in the Japanese form of giving utmost respect and honor. She nearly cried while staring at the ground when first her father then her mother broke into laughter. She jerked when a hand gently clasped her shoulder and drew her into a hug.

"Cerise, dear Cerise, it is me who is sorry. Your mother was simply joking with you as we had planned on doing on the ride here. We should have remembered how much this race truly meant to you and not joked upon it. Forgive us, Cerise. You have both your mother's and my permission, as you always did, to fulfill your dream of being a racer and we shall always support you in that goal."

Cerise wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Really, Father? You're not mad?" She asked, still a little uncertain.

"Of course," Van replied with a reassuring smile. He fell over backwards as Cerise tackled him with her excitement.

"Thank you, Father! Thank you so much!" She announced, her tears of happiness now becoming tears of joy her smile beaming brighter than the afternoon sun.

"Am I forgiven then?" Van asked, pulling her away slightly. Cerise nodded, Her voice suddenly lost again as she dried her cheeks on her sleeve. "Good, now... if memory serves me, your grandmother promised a nice little meal and if we don't hurry, she may decide to have it all herself." He joked once more, knowing his son was translating.

"Van Fanel, you know perfectly well I would not eat all of that food myself. Though, I'm sure Lowell and Cerise would be more than willing to help me out and help me in guarding the food against you as punishment for teasing my granddaughter."

And the squabble began. Though, this was very interesting since each participant (Van and his mother-in-law, that is) had to wait for their respective translator to finish before they could respond, Lowell translating for his father while Cerise did the same for her grandmother. It wasn't long before Hitomi noticed that her children weren't translating _exactly_ what was said, and this added an even more interesting spin which only Hitomi and her children could truly enjoy. After a while, Van was able to calm down enough that, with the very small vocabulary that Van _had_ been able to pick up, he was able to figure out a difference between what he was sure his step-mother said and what his son said, and when it was figured out, sent the whole family into peals of laughter at the payback tease the children had played. Hitomi laughed along with them, happening to glance over at Escaflowne as she recovered from the giggles. It sat in its usual position, guarding Folken's resting place as the eternal guardian of peace instead of the weapon it used to be. The Mystic Moon seemed to rest upon it's shoulders as if her old world were now a burden upon it that is must carry. In her tearing eyes, Hitomi's old world seemed to shine bright and Hitomi had the unmistakable feeling that she and her family would not be the last to travel between the two worlds. Hitomi gasped as two strong arms encircled her and pulled her back against a well-muscled body, pressing her tightly but gently into its loving embrace.

"Do you miss it?" Van's voice whispered softly into her ear. Hitomi sighed, for even after all these years, he would still ask this question when he knew she had the ability to return there any time she wished. In the twelve years since she returned, though, she had never gone back to her home world after her parents and brother had joined her in Gaea, happy to leave all the high expectations and stress of the Terran life.

"No, it has nothing to do with that," Hitomi replied, reassuringly. However, this only made him turn her around to face him.

"What did you see? Please, tell me, Hitomi. You have not had a strong vision in a long while." Van said, stroking her hair, making Hitomi lean gently into his hand.

"It wasn't a vision, just a feeling. I don't think Gaea's quite finished yet with Earth. I feel like someone else will come here and will be involved with Escaflowne." Hitomi replied, turning her gaze once more towards her old world.

"Escaflowne will need to be protected then! I won't allow any harm to come to it, even if I am no longer bonded to it." Van spoke harshly, attracting the rest of the family's attention now. Hitomi laid a calm finger upon her husband's lips, now quite used to his outbursts of protection to his former fighting partner.

"It's alright, Van." Hitomi broke from Van's arms and walked the few feet over to stand next to Escaflowne. She laid a gentle hand upon its surface and the pink jewel seemed to glow soft for a moment and Hitomi smiled. "Escaflowne is eager to meet him, no matter how far into the future he may appear."

Van stood for a second, watching his wife standing next to his Guymelef with the pale pink light reflecting in her eyes as she gazed up at the jewel. To him, she was just as lovely at that moment as when she had first told him she thought his wings were beautiful. He walked over and took her back into his arms' embrace.

"I'm sorry. I got overprotective again." Van apologized hugging her tightly, as if to never let her go. Hitomi leaned back upon him, letting him balance her weight as she wrapped her arms over his.

"You don't need to apologize. I know you miss it a little and it will always be a part of you, no matter how many times they switch out your blood." This statement brought a smirk back to Van's face, and Hitomi could sense it was there. Then she sensed the smirk disappear as Van voiced a thought.

"Hitomi, have you ever... regretted coming here, to Gaea?" he asked, his embrace tightening slightly as he nervously waited for the answer.

Knowing that his question was not to be taken lightly, Hitomi thought carefully over her answer before she finally voiced it.

"Yes. A few times" Hitomi felt Van's embrace slacken and she tightened her own. "Like, the time where I was so fed up with how you had changed fighting Zaibach that I actually did go back. Then, while I was on Earth, I could only think of Gaea and my soul seemed to call to it, because I would answer to the feathers reaching to me. Even though, I knew if I went back to that track, I would have to go back, it didn't matter, because I wanted to go back to you. I knew then that my heart was linked to you. When I went back once more, those three years I spent apart from you seemed to tear at my heart and empty my soul. I started writing those letters I gave you. The early ones were mostly filled with just I love you's and such. Then I wrote where I wished to go with you if I ever returned somehow. During those three years, I can't recall how many times a daring boy would ask me out and how many rumors started that I had a boyfriend in college, but these died out quickly. The latest letters I wrote when you became more busy and we didn't link as often. I wrote daily things. Each day for those three years, I looked forward to being able to write to you. Many times, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to give them to you and I would hide the letters. I even threw some out when I got depressed enough about it. Then, inevitably, something would happen and I would think 'I want to tell Van about this!' and I would write it in yet another letter. Then, I was finally able to come here. I had no chance at making it in a good grade college anymore because of the suspension," Van was always confused at this word since Gaea had no word that had a similar meaning. "and coming back to Gaea made me so happy, like I was complete again, and I am. There were a couple times in the past several years, I had thought it would have been easier to never have come here, to just live on Earth and become a racer and have lived a normal high school girl life. However, all I had to do was remember that I had wished to find my true love, and it brought me to Gaea. My heart knew its soul mate was not on that world."

Hitomi turned in Van's still loose embrace and looked into her husband's eyes.

"My heart knew its soul mate was here, as my guardian angel who rules over the heaven of Fanelia."

With those words, the lovers shared a kiss that was as meaningful to them as their first kiss in Zaibach was.

* * *

_End Chapter Five_

* * *

_End of Return to My Heart_

* * *

**Keetra**: T.T The story's over! I'm kind of gonna miss writing this, but I'm also glad it's over so I can concentrate more on my Spirited Away fic, which I've been sadly neglecting... Oh, and I am not writing a sequel to this! Well, at least, I don't have one planned. This story does have the possibility for a sequel though, but I need to at least finish my Spirited Away story before I do any kind of planning on a sequel. If I do write a sequel though, it would be someone from Earth comes to Gaea and is able to pilot Escaflowne. I kind of hinted at it towards the end when Hitomi looks up at Escaflowne. But it will not be written for a loooong while yet. Anyways, few quick notes before I leave: 

First, I used some major artistic leeway on their kid's names. Their names came from me thinking what if their kids looked like them, but the hair color switched? Well, I started with the boy, since I knew I would be writing him first. So, here was my train of thought: "Brown hair, brown eyes... Wait a minute... THIS sounds familiar... OH MY GOD! VAN'S SON LOOKS LIKE SYAORAN-KUN! (From Cardcaptor Sakura for those deprived people who do not know) so, I was a little bad…. I could not resist having a mini Syaoran in my fic. So, I went to my handy baby names site (I love that site! It helps me so much with names T.T) and was looking for any name that meant wolf. Well, I got something better! Lowell is an English name (meaning from England, not like American or something) and it means "Little Wolf"! (For the non-CCS fans, Syaoran means Little Wolf in Japanese.) I was psyched! Well, even though the girl did not look like Sakura (I had envisioned long black hair kept back in a ponytail and I wanted to keep that. Sorry peeps!) but I could not have the little wolf be without his cherry blossom, it was just not right. SO, I looked again to get the girl's name. Cerise is a French name meaning "Cherry" and Hana is a Japanese name meaning "Flower". So, slight apology for the slight out of character on the children's names, but I had to do that. In reality, Van probably would've named his son Balken (Combining BALgus and FolKEN) in memory of them. I was tempted slightly when I found the Japanese name that meant "peace" but shook it off. So, again, sorry for my weak resistance to the opportunity to make Syaoran and Sakura appear here. -bow-

Second, I realized when I did the time jump that I had forgot to mention the time frame this story was set in when I started this fic. Sorry! This story takes place 3 years after Hitomi returned. So, again, I did an artistic leeway because I do not know how many years Japanese people attend high school. So, being lazy and not really wanting to look everywhere to figure it out, I assume they go for 4 years, so Hitomi would be a senior in High School (She was a First Year in the anime). Sorry if this caused any confusion at all. Also, the three years is why they had electric consoles. In those three years, Freid had people studying the Zaibach technology and were integrating it into their lives, mostly their medical facilities, making them the best medics in the planet. Since they already knew how to use energists for Guymelefs, they used the same concept to run the consoles and monitors. I had wanted to put this explaination in the story, but I could not really figure out where would be good, so sorry again, if that caused any confusion either.

And, last but never in the least, **I want to thank all my incredibly loyal reviewers that kept coming back even though I was aggravatingly slow with this story**, even more than usual. Especially FireTemptress, my ever-loving okaa-sama. I love you with all my heart! Thank you so much for your inspiration on how to end this story. It is now so much grander than I could ever have imagined it ending. I pray your ideas and stories will continue to inspire me to do my best. I also pray I can return the favor just as often.

**Ja ne to you all! Love yas! Hugs and kisses and fond wishes to all!**


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